The Pawn of Ink [Twisted Wonderland Reader Insert]

Prologue [ 11 - 13 ]

"I'm already exhausted from cleaning all day... But now we have to clean one hundred windows..." Grim and I plopped ourselves near the entrance of the cafeteria, waiting for another series of intensive chores to do for the school.

"If you've learned your lesson, then just do it," I side-glanced him again, boring my eyes into his thick skull. Grim wasn't bothered by my glares and continued his rant.

"Anyway, that Ace guy is late. He's got some nerve making me wait on him! I'm getting annoyed!

...

...

..

..

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..... There's no way he's this late!! Do you think he bailed on us!?"

Already tired and dead, I lost my polite facade and had enough bs to deal with, 'Ace is gonna pay.'

"Hey Grim, wanna teach that guy a lesson for real this time~" Grim seemed to be taken a back from my sudden change in character, but he more than welcomed it. He stood up, a dark smirk widened on his face, "Where was this (y/n) when that idiot dared laugh at me? Anyway..."

I lifted myself off of the floor as well, a new sense of determination clouded my better judgement.

"I'm not letting him run away and leave the punishment to us! Let's go, (y/n)! We'll catch Ace and make him clean the windows!"

We bursted the door of a random classroom, and stormed in. Grim whaled, "C'MON!! Where are you, Ace!? You'll pay for hiding from us! ...Er, there's no one here!?"

"No. I am here."

"AHHH!!! The painting spoke!!" Grim yelped and jumped into my chest, digging his claws into the over-sized blazer.

"So what? A talking painting should be nothing unusual at this academy. The lady on that wall, and the gentleman on this wall—all of us speak. Portraits have mouths, and so they can talk. Isn't that normal?"

"Normally pictures don't talk," I blurted without thought. My remark came off more as rude rather than confused because the portrait looked clearly offended.

"Your 'normal' is different from my 'normal.' We must respect one another's individuality. Don't you agree?"

I sent a small apology his way, feeling too dead to be properly sorry.

"So? Are you two looking for someone?"

"We're looking for this guy named Ace. He's got a heart on his face, and a big sweep of hair on his head," Grim spoke on behalf of me.

"Ah, I know him. He's one of the new students that came in today, right? A little while ago it seemed like he was heading back to his dorm..."

Immediately, Grim and I grew a scowl and an angry aura.

"What!? He really was trying to bail on us! Do you know where he went!?"

"The doors to the dorms are in the back of the east school building."

Grim hopped off and stepped out of the classroom on all fours.

"(Y/n), let's go after him!"

Before leaving, I bowed towards the portrait in thanks and dashed madly to the jerk who tried to bail us.

"They really expect me to clean a hundred windows? I'm heading back to my dorm..."

"HEYYYYY!!!"

Running at full speed, Grim and I scared the living life out of Ace as he tried to get away, "They found me!"

"Ace!! Stop right there!! I'm not letting you be the only one getting out of this!" The moment Grim let that out, I stared him down so intensely that his feet shrank. But still, Grim wasn't my objective: Ace was.