Twisted Wonderland x reader: We're All Mad Here

Episode 5-9: Values Out of Alignment

The group stood still for a moment to soak in the song they were going to perform for the tournament in a few weeks. Y/n had unconsciously started to hum the song after getting the hang of the beat and lyrics before Vil signaled for her to stop the music,"Boop." she says quietly as she clicks the 'pause' button. She couldn't help herself.

"I've also arranged for original choreography to accompany the song. Here, I'll pull up a dance video with a similar dynamic to provide you with a visual aid of what our performance will look like when it's finished." Vil explains as he taps on Magicam before searching up for a certain dance video to help with his explanation,"There should be plenty of videos from professional dance groups on Magicam... Ah, here we are." he then presses on the video, but it says an ad has to play first.

Grim had gotten curious about the video, so he had hopped onto y/n's head in order to peer down at Vil's phone and saw the ad,"I know the deal here. You gotta watch a commercial before you get to the video, right?" he says with a proud smile,"That's right, but it gets seriously annoying." y/n says with a strained smile, but also watches the ad play out.

The commercial showcased a single drop of water dripping into a pool before two brown eyes appear on camera. The lens pans out to reveal a familiar face as rose petals rained down around the model.

[Hey, it's that boy again.] y/n recognized the face of Neige immediately, remembering what Cater told her about him,"Keep your skin as soft as powdered snow. This UV foundation is made to protect all your delicate curves." the female narrator tempts the audience as Neige shows off a lovely smile,"It's finally here: a magical sunblock that makes all your wishes come true." he utters as he cups his hands and the product they're advertising appears in his hands out of thin air.

"Félicité Cosmetics: Precious Protection Foundation." the female narrator names the product and Neige makes a 'come here' motion with his hand,"Here, come closer..." he utters almost quietly as the camera pans closer to him.

"Oh yeah, that Neige guy is gonna be at the SDC too, right? Cater was saying he's the most popular entertainer on Magicam." Ace remembers as well,"Hm. He'll garner a lot of votes, I'm sure." Jamil theorizes,"If he's participating, who is he representing?" y/n asks, seeing that Neige wore the same outfit in the previous commercial as well, coming to the conclusion that it's a uniform from a different magic academy.

"He's the Royal Sword Academy representative." Rook answers her,"The academy across the island, right?" y/n inquires and Rook nods,"So he's our rival!" Kalim concludes, plopping a fist onto his open hand,"Precisely. The road we travel toward victory must by necessity go squarely through him. Still..." Rook smiles as he shuts his eyes, tapping a single knuckle against his chin as his mind wanders off.

"Those rose-red lips and glossy black hair... That endearing smile that could charm anyone in an instant... A rival though he may be, oh, c'est beau!" he praises, spreading his arms far out,"I won't lie, he seems very charming." y/n smiles in agreement, unaware that it made Vil slightly annoyed to hear from her.

For some reason, he wants to impress the girl beside him that he's the one worthy of her praise and attention rather than Neige. He doesn't know why, but he just needs to do it. It can't be because he has a crush her, is it? Maybe it is or not, but Vil will figure it out during the training camp.

"Though..." y/n's voice snaps Vil out his mind,"Even though he looks charming and sweet, we can't let our guards down and let him steal our win." she says with a grin,"I've got a tuna bonanza riding on this competition! We gotta take home the gold!" Grim exclaims as he balances himself on top of the girl's head.

Epel held a look of uncertainty though, but kept his thoughts silent,"Cease your frivolous chatter and focus on the dance video." Vil lightly scolds,"This time, losing is absolutely not an option." he says with unwavering determination,"Right!" y/n nods before everyone went back to practicing once more.