Scarlet Vision | Twisted Wonderland

i should be scared, honey (but i ain't worried 'bout it right now)

"Yay! You guys made it!" Cater exclaimed, waving enthusiastically from in front of the gates leading into the grounds of Heartslabyul. His eyes sparkled with excitement, despite the subtle hint of tension in his demeanor that made [Name] raise an eyebrow. They likely assumed that it had to deal with the Unbirthday party that he might be stressing about.

"Meow, it wasn't like we had never been here before," Grim claimed, his paws planted firmly on his hips, his tail swaying lazily behind him.

[Name] nodded in agreement, a faint smirk playing on their lips. "I remember how you kicked us out too." Their comment lead to the others to look at Cater, deadpan.

Cater's expression faltered for a moment before he awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck under the weight of their accusatory glares. "Come on, guys. Don't be mad!" he pleaded, his hands clapping together in a desperate attempt to diffuse the tension.

"Man." Ace sighed, rolling his eyes. "Just drop the act."

Cater chuckled nervously as he took out his phone form his pocket. "Thanks! Now, let's get ready to give the tarts we made yesterday and go apologize to Riddle." He glanced at his phone for a moment, a flicker of concern crossing his features before he quickly pocketed it. "We should hurry, because after the trouble yesterday, we're a little short-handed."

"What does that mean?" Ace asked wearily, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"And who is 'we'?" Deuce questioned, his arms crossed loosely over his chest.

Cater waved off their concerns with an exaggerated smile. "Don't worry about it! I've got everything under control. Let's head inside and enjoy the party!"

As the first years followed Cater through the gates and into the grounds of Heartslabyul, [Name] couldn't help but notice the dorm students scrambling to prepare for the party. Some of them, like Ace, wore collars, a stark reminder of Riddle's increasing control over the student body. However, it can also be a sign that Riddle is spiraling down the hole, but they felt like they didn't know why. Maybe it had to deal with the cracked cup, but they felt that it is too soon to tell.

"Okay, I will hand over the tart and say I am sorry then..." Ace repeated over and over to himself, his hands clutching the boxed tart with a mix of anxiety and determination. He held it delicately, afraid to crush his only hope of escaping the collar that now snugly encircled his neck. He couldn't afford to mess this up, he could end up wearing this collar the whole school year. Maybe until Riddle steps down from House Warden! Ace cannot wait for that long for Riddle to get rid of his collar if his House Warden doesn't unlock it today.

A moment later, another Cater emerged in front of the group, clad in his P.E. uniform. The first years exchanged bewildered glances between each other and the first Cater, who looked indifferent to the clone, unsure of what to make of Cater's unexpected appearance.

"Oh, my god. This is like US," [Name] whispered in shock, the memory of a movie they had watched flashing through their mind. The thought of encountering doppelgangers, potentially intent on replacing them, sent a shiver down their spine. After all, their made believe doppelganger very likely would have the same powers as them which can lead to disaster, and it would be hard to say if they would win.

"US, nyah?" Grim whispered back, his grip tightening on [Name]'s arm as they made their way through the grounds. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with [Name] when they say things that are from their world.

"Hey, me! You're finally here! I have been waitinggggg for so long!" P.E. Cater whined with a pout, waving a paintbrush dripping with red paint, but no paint can on the other hand.