Twisted Wonderland x (Todoroki) Reader

A Beautiful Tyrant

-3rd POV-

Deuce let out a loud sigh, "I blew it big time. I had no business lashing out the way I did. That's not what an honor student does. Someone gives me justified criticism, and I go off on them. Man, I'm lame..."

"No need for the long face." A voice said, making him look and see (Y/n), holding a water bottle.

"Hey, our kindly manager's brought you a bottle of water." Grim said, as he was on the girl's shoulders.

Shoto nodded, "Be considerate since my sister is your friend."

"(Y/n). Shoto. Grim. Sorry about running off like that." The blue haired male sadly said.

"You should be! If you guys don't win first place, my tuna bonanza goes up in smoke." The feline exclaimed, which made the twins deadpan, "You and Epel both better buck up and get back to practice."

The male chuckled, "You and your one-track mind. It makes me kind of jealous."

"Y'know, Deuce, I've been wondering: why did you stick your nose in Vil and Epel's argument? Even I know that's just askin' for trouble."

"It is, huh? I agree. It was dumb of me." He smiled a bit, "But I've seen something in Epel ever since we ran into him by the courtyard well. I think...he and I are a lot alike."

"Seriously? You and Epel? You guys don't look or act anything alike."

"It's hard to put it in words. It's about wanting to change, but not being able to...Now knowing how to change yourself, and just kind of floundering. Ugh." He said, kicking a pebble, "Ace was right. I'm hopeless with this stuff. I'm bad at getting a point across. It's just so...frustrating."

The twins looked at each other then at Deuce.

"Such frustrations are the bittersweet pain of youth, Monsieur Spade!" A familiar voice said.

"C'mon, what's the matter? Cheer up!"

"Whoa!" Deuce and Grim exclaimed, as the twins jumped a bit.

"Rook-senpai? Kalim-senpai? You scared me! What are you doing here?" The blue haired male said.

"It's about time to get back to dance rehearsal, so we came to check up on you." Kalim said.

"Are you feeling ready to return to the ballroom?" Rook said.

"C-Can I...really go back?" Deuce said.

"Huh? Of course you can." The white haired male said.

"Vil-senpai was right when he said I'm dead weight. I know that. I was chosen for the ensemble, and I'm trying my best. But I'm afraid it might not be enough..."

"Do not get ahead of yourself, Monsieur Spade." The blond frowned, "You are but a chick still inside your egg. Would you expect an unhatched chick to accurately gauge their own limits? Non. You will not attain a beautiful warble or plumage for flying while huddling within your shell." He smiled.

"Rook-senpai..."

"Don't worry. I've heard it loud and clear—I've heard all of you pecking, slow and steady, at the shells around you, striving to break out. Here's a bird fact for you, actually. Unhatched chicks have a hard, pointy, horn-like protrusion on the end of their beaks called an egg tooth. They use that to break their shell. That egg tooth fades away as the chick grows, though. The point I am making is this: Ensnared as you are in the throes of hatching, each of you has an egg tooth that no one else possesses. You have power within you, somewhere. Speaking not only for myself, but for Vil:  We're both waiting eagerly for all of you to break free and stand tall at long last."