Virtual Insanity [Twst x OnePiece!Reader]

Student Multiplication

After several attempts, they still don't get the color right. They manage green, blue and pink, but not a single one turns red with magic. Y/n's earlier assumption about Grim's magic even comes true.

"BWAH! The rose caught on fire!"

Frantically the boys extinguish the flames as soon as they notice. Cater can feel his eye twitch as he watches the mess unfold,

"Wow. You're even less competent than I thought."

He doesn't bother hiding his exasperation, which prompts Y/n to wonder. Why go through all this effort? Just cuz Riddle said so? Are people seriously that scared of him, that they follow everything he says? The Devil Fruit user stands up, patting off any grass or dirt from her skirt, and strolls up to Cater's side,

"I know tradition is your dorm's thing and all, but why do you have to do all of this?"

Ace joins her, frustrated and tired from the work,

"Yo, maybe you should just leave the roses white! They look perfectly pretty 'n stuff to me."

Y/n nods along, as do the others, all of them sharing the same sentiment. To them, everything that Cater needs to get done sounds just about maddening and they fail to see the point in why.

"Y/n already said it, it's a matter of tradition.",

The junior goes on to explain, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world,

"You can't have an unbirthday party without roses being red. And you can't play croquet without seven-colored flamingos as mallets and a hedgehog for a ball.",

'WHAT-',

"Oh, but of course, the roses need to be white when the garden flowers put on their spring concert. That's absolutely crucial."

"All your rules are completely insane!"

Grim practically reads her mind and says what they're all thinking, but Cater isn't phased by their outrage,

"They say the Queen of Hearts made up these rules herself— she was one of the Great Seven, you know. And Riddle is all about tradition. Probably more than previous housewardens, T-B-H."

She already wasn't feeling this whole rules and tradition garbage when Riddle was telling her about it the first time, so hearing it a second time the woman is at least grateful Cater is giving them a quick version of it.

Though, by the end he seems to feel a similar way about the rules as he mutters,

"I'll admit that he's, well... a bit extra."

Y/n raises a brow at him. A bit extra? Only just a bit?? Maybe the standards here of what's extreme is different to her world.

"Yeah, no kidding. I sure don't have time for this nonsense. Is Riddle here? I gotta talk to him."

'Oh right, that's why we came here in the first place. So Ace can apologize.'

They spent such a long time struggling with the roses, if Ace hadn't brought it up they probably would have been dragged into helping Cater do the rest of his chores.

"Yeah, probably.",

The junior answers,

"But are you sure that's wise? Did you even bring an apology tart to replace the one you ate?"

Ace is honest, but tries to justify himself,

"Uh, no...? I came here first thing in the morning!"

The mood, which was already not great due to their tiredness, becomes tense as Cater let's out a disappointed laugh,