Twisted Wonderland x (Todoroki) Reader

The Watchman of the Underworld

-3rd POV-

"The Phantoms have been gettin' tougher for sure." Leona said, as Jamil was silent, which made him smirk, "What's wrong? You're awfully quiet. Are you actually mad?"

"No, not at all, really..."

"Aw, c'mon, don't hide it. It was a gut punch, right? I totally hit the nail on the head."

His brows furrowed at him.

"Must be rough. I can guess what's goin' through your mind right now."

"What...What do you know about me? You don't know what I've been through! All I've had to endure! No one does! You're not like me at all!"

Shoto was blinking them, ready to freeze them once again.

The lion male glared at him, "So you're just gonna make excuses and mope about no one understanding you? I know a little about what you're dealing with. I'm guessing you think nobody gives you credit because of Kalim, right?"

"...I'm vice housewarden. Kalim, such as he is, was made housewarden. That's proof enough."

"Yeah, at least for right now. He's not the very bright or that adept with magic. There's no contest between you two on those fronts. But he's got something you don't—charisma."

"Charisma? Hah." The Scarabia male smirked, "That's just a nice way of saying he's a soft touch. He'll be used and taken advantage of soft every turn."

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. You know what the greatest source of charisma is? Money."

His eyes widen, "Money?! I mean...Sure, the Asim family possesses great wealth and power. I'll grant you that."

"Money's more tangible than magic. It commands a lot of power and has no uncertain or ambiguous factors. You should know all about that. Better than me, even."

"Well, I suppose..."

"And Kalim is learning how to wield that immense power."

"You think so, huh..." Jamil said.

-Small Flashback-

"(Y/n), Shoto and the ghosts living here were such gracious hosts during our training camp." Kalim grinned, "I honestly had a blast! So I want to give Ramshackle a little facelift as a token of my gratitude. The money's ours, right? Which means we can use it how we want."

"Roi Dore, your noble heart makes you worthier than ever of your golden appellation." Rook said, smiling.

-End of Flashback-

"So yeah, guys who act without considering what comes next are fools. But guys who only focus on that are even bigger fools." Leona smirked, "It's hard to predict how impulsive guys like Kalim will grow...for better or for worse. But there's nothin' more embarrassing than someone who makes excuses after waiting so long their prey gets away." He grinned.

"I..." Jamil trailed off, before something dropped down in front of them.

"Gyaaargh!"

The lion male glared at the Phantom and brought out his pen, "Okay, counseling session's gonna have to wait. We got a fight on our hands!"

-----

The Phantom melted after the battle.

"Hey, Jamil. Your positioning just now wasn't half bad. Keep cowerin' behind me. It suits you." Leona smirked, starting to walk.

"Do you think I'm a burden, Leona-senpai? If so, I'll walk away right now. It would be preferable to dragging someone down." Jamil frowned at him.

"Seriously? Why you gotta swing from one extreme to the next? Were you repressed growin' up or something? You can do better than that. Just get an accurate read on your own abilities, and figure out the best course of action. Look—Ruggie, a sophomore just like you, has underwhelming magic. Barely worth mentioning. Thing is, he knows it. So he sucks up to me and uses me. That's not bad or something to be ashamed of."