Chapter 98: Chapter 92: Sass, Snark, and Scaramouche

The sun was shining brightly over the dormitory common room, but the atmosphere inside was... tense. Scaramouche sat cross-legged on the couch, arms crossed, an unmistakable scowl on his face as he glared at the little kitten currently napping peacefully in Lumine's lap.

The kitten purred softly, and Lumine smiled down at it, completely oblivious to the daggers being mentally hurled at the tiny fluffball.

Aether walked past Scaramouche, casually munching on an apple, a smug grin plastered across his face. "Morning, Kuni. Slept well? Oh, wait... do cats even have dreams?"

Scaramouche’s eye twitched. “Do you ever shut up, or is your mouth set to ‘constant annoyance’ by default?”

Amber snorted from across the room, trying to hide her laugh behind her hand. Venti let out a loud "PFFT—" before taking a dramatic sip of his matcha.

Aether just grinned. "Aww, someone's cranky. Did the kitten steal your spotlight, Kuni-kins?"

That did it. Scaramouche shot up from his seat, fists clenched, and lunged at Aether. “Say that again, I dare you, you golden-haired menace!”

Aether dodged easily, holding his apple up like a shield. “Violence isn’t the answer, Kuni.”

“Stop calling me that!” Scaramouche barked, his voice echoing through the common room.

Lumine sighed, still petting the kitten. “Can you two stop acting like children for five minutes? Please?”

Scaramouche froze mid-step, glaring at Aether before huffing and stomping back to the couch. “Fine. But only because you asked, Lumine.”

Venti, lounging on the armrest of another couch, smirked. “Someone’s whipped.”

Scaramouche turned his glare to Venti, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “And someone’s still single.”

“Ouch,” Venti said, clutching his chest like he’d been stabbed. Amber burst into laughter, nearly spilling her drink.

Ayaka, sitting primly at the dining table, spoke up. “Scaramouche, must you always be so... abrasive this early in the morning?”

Scaramouche turned toward her, his eyebrow raised. “Must you always sound like a walking etiquette book, Ayaka?”

Ayaka sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose while Albedo calmly stirred his tea beside her. “Interesting observation, Scaramouche. Your ability to repel people within seconds is almost scientific.”

“Oh, shut it, Einstein,” Scaramouche snapped back, pointing accusingly at Albedo.

Amber clapped her hands together, laughing uncontrollably. “This is better than TV!”

The kitten stirred slightly in Lumine’s lap, letting out a soft mew. Everyone froze for a moment, their gazes falling on Lumine, who was now giving Scaramouche that look.

“Scara… the kitten is sleeping,” she said softly.

Scaramouche’s lips twitched in frustration, but he sighed and sat back down, grumbling under his breath. “Fine. Whatever. Dumb fluffball...”

Aether, now perched on the edge of the dining table, grinned. “Wow, the great Scaramouche, defeated by a kitten. I’ve seen it all.”

Scaramouche shot him a death glare. “You. Are. This close to being drop-kicked out of the nearest window.”

Amber gasped dramatically. “Violence! Someone stop him!”

Venti raised his cup. “I’d rather watch, actually.”

Albedo calmly took a sip of his tea. “This experiment is quite fascinating. How long can Aether and Scaramouche coexist in the same room before one of them snaps?”

Ayaka nodded. “It’s truly a scientific marvel.”

Lumine finally set the kitten down on a soft pillow nearby before standing up and crossing her arms. “Alright, enough. Scaramouche, Aether—stop acting like kids. Everyone else, stop instigating them.”

Scaramouche and Aether both muttered their versions of “Fine” under their breath before glaring at each other one last time.

Amber grinned and clapped her hands together. “So, what’s the plan for today, guys? Are we just going to let the chaos continue, or are we actually doing something productive?”

Venti smirked. “Chaos is productive, Amber.”

Scaramouche rolled his eyes so hard it looked like they might disappear into his skull. “Great. Another day stuck with you people.”

Aether, not missing a beat, grinned. “Don’t worry, Kuni. We love having you here.”

Scaramouche growled lowly, his fists clenched as everyone burst into laughter once again.

From her cozy little pillow, the kitten blinked sleepily at the group before letting out another small mew, unknowingly becoming the center of an ever-escalating rivalry.

Lumine sighed but couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Another day of chaos had officially begun.