Twisted Wonderland 2

Titan Attack

Once outside the room, the staff member breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you all so much. You saved my life! Are you sure you don't want to come with me? All the phantoms past this point are the really dangerous ones. A-rank or higher. There's no guarantee you'll make it through unharmed."

"Thank you for the warning, but we'll be continuing on." Rook says.

"We have to stop the phantoms before they get out." You clutch your arm. "And I have to find my roommate before he gets hurt."

Vil places a hand to his chest. "I simply MUST reach Idia and Ortho first so I can give them a good slap on the face. Which means we can't let the other teams get ahead of us. We need to hurry on."

"Well," The staff member nods. "alright. Just be careful, okay?"

Rook smiles. "You as well. Quite a few Phantoms are thawing in the upper containment facilities."

The staff member chuckles. "Hey, I've been researching phantoms for twenty years. I'm an old hand. I know all about their habits. I'll figure out a way through."

Vil smirks. "All right. I trust we'll all give this our best efforts then."

The staff member salutes you all and heads his way up the stairs. Once he's gone, Epel dusts off his hands. "Now that we've handled that, time to pick up where you left off!"

Rook tilts his head. "Where I left off? What were we talking about again?"

"You were originally in Savanaclaw?" You add.

"Oh yes, that!" Rook smiles as he walks down the steps. "The Dark Mirror chose Savanaclaw for me at my orientation. I've often identified with the King of Beasts' spirit of persistence, myself. So I saw no issue with the assignment. In fact, I found my time in Savanaclaw to be quite fun and rewarding."

"Then why'd you transfer to Pomefiore? Seems like kind of a waste-" Epel clears his throat. "Er, I mean, if it suited you, you didn't really have to transfer, did you?"

Rook only laughs. "I did so because I wished to gain a deeper understanding of beauty. Granted, I could've continued my pursuit independently in Savanaclaw. But, transferring to Pomefiore, a dorm honoring the spirit of the Fairest Queen, would help me reach the true depths of beauty all the sooner. That was what my hunter instincts told me, anyway."

"Wait, seriously?" You ask.

"You made a decision that important based on a gut feeling?" Epel exclaims.

"It was more than a mere gut feeling, I assure you." Rook waves an hand. "Another reason was my desire to watch Vil hone his own beauty up close. After all, two swordsmiths hammering a blade can give it an even keener edge. I volunteered to swing the second hammer upon Vil's blade of beauty."

Epel leans to whisper to you. "Sheesh. This boy ain't right."

Vil examines his nails. "I tried to dissuade him when he first brought up transferring to me. But Rook cares not for the opinions of others once he decides something. Though you two already know that, right?"

Epel snickers. "You got that right."

You bring a hand to hide your giggles.

"Before I knew it," Vil continues. "the complicated paperwork and ceremonies were complete, and there he was, wearing a Pomefiore uniform. He stood out like a sore thumb, of course. He looked QUITE different back then."

"What's he look like?" Epel asks.

Vil laughs at the memory. "Well, his hair was long, thick, and completely unkempt. Scraggly like you wouldn't believe. Also, he never bothered with sunscreen or skin care, though he's prone to sunburns, so his cheeks and nose were always freckled and bright red. And as for his attire, he only cared if it was easy to move around in. He'd just waltz all over the place in sweatpants with frayed hems or jeans with torn knees, without even bothering to mend them."