A Fox Surrounded in Darkness (Twisted Wonderland x Encanto f!reader)

Chapter 76

Your POV...

⦓Ramshackle- Lounge⦔

"I appreciate all of you helping with those boxes," Epel thanks the group as he places the last box down. All of the apple juice boxes were moved from the foyer to the lounge. "Why don't we open one up and quench our thirst? The citric acid and polyphenol in apples works wonders for fatigue. It should be the perfect drink after a hard day of dancing and singing rehearsal...I think." Epel hands a bottle to everyone in the room and the corks were popped open.

"There's a nice, tangy apple smell already, and all I did was pop the cork," Deuce comments.

"All of Harveston's products are extremely good," I tell the group.

"What a piquant aroma," Rook comments as he takes a sip of the apple juice and Kalim follows his lead. "Why... c'est bon! This is exquisite, Monsieur Pommette!"

"Ooh, that IS good," Kalim exclaims. "It's like I'm drinking an apple in liquid form!"

Jamil sighs, "It's 100 percent apple juice, so that is literally what you're doing."

"This's the stuff right here," Grim finishes his bottle and goes for another one. "I could guzzle it by the liter!"

"You should slow down," Deuce grabs Grim.

"I can't blame him for wanting more," Ace laughs. "It goes down great."

"It's not too sweet and not too tart," Rook observes. "It goes down like a pleasant breeze blowing through an orchard—refreshing to the extreme! I'd go so far to call this beverage a masterpiece that was clearly made with love."

"Isn't it?" Epel smiles. "It's made from a blend of several different types of apples. It's the pride of our hometown! And it's soothing for the throat when you add in a little honey. It could be great to drink after vocal practice! Ooh, and the apples themselves are delicious, even before they're turned into juice!"

Rook lets out a gleeful laugh, "How nice to hear you speak with such enthusiasm. It's clear that you carry a great deal of fondness for your hometown, Monsieur Pommette."

"Unfortunately, though..." Epel sighs. "I don't know if it's because we make it in a back water part of the Shaftlands or what, but it's just not very well-known."

"That's such a shame for it to go unnoticed," Kalim slightly frowns. "It's really good."

"We get fewer and fewer tourists every year, too," Epel explains. "The direction things are going, well..."

"How long are you all going to congregate in the lounge?" Vil enters the room, interrupting Epel. "...And what are these stacks of boxes?"

"Epel's family sent him some apple juice, which he has been kind enough to share," Rook answers.

"I-it doesn't have any added sugars," Epel hurriedly adds. "Or preservatives! And, um, it's not going to last for very long, so...you're welcome to have some too, Vil. If you like."

Vil lets out a hum, "Is that so? Perhaps if the mood strikes me. But it's just about 10 o'clock. That means lights out for you spudlings, including you fox. Don't think that I over looked you."

"You are not putting a bedtime on me," I scoff. "Look you might be important in your dorm, but this is my dorm, and you will not boss me around."

"You expect us to go to bed at 10 pm?!" Ace gawked. "What are we, grade schoolers?"

"Perhaps so, if your mindset moves you to equate an early bedtime with being a child," Vil replies. "You need a minimum of seven hours of sleep a night to maintain lustrous skin and hair. Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask you... What products do you use for hair and skin care?"