Twitterpated [Twisted Wonderland x Female Reader]

Chapter 1 ✧ X-XIV

Various words and sentences speed past your eyes as you skim titles on the rows and rows of leather or paper-bound books. In the vast library of Night Raven College, you started to wonder if you'll ever manage to find the book you needed before becoming late to the botanical garden meet-up. You let out a sigh as you shuffled the tomes in your arms you managed to find while mentally recalling their contents: One that should have the history of races of this world, such as the beastmen (and to finally discover if dwarves exist here or not), an alchemy book to learn the recipe for the potions for the ghosts to eat food, and a new cookbook filled with recipes of pastries to switch with your tuna based cookbook.

Grim huffs with his ears pinned back upon your shoulder, "I can't believe that practical magic professor gave us homework! Why do the others get off free?!"

Yeah, you're not surprised he's complaining. Not only was he met with disappointment earlier with practical magic being anything but practical for first years, so you were stuck learning theories and such. But the professor was also informed of your great lack of magic abilities from Crowley and took you aside after class to assign you much more work than your classmates to improve your magic understanding. They then roped Grim into having more assignments when the feline mocked you, which admittedly did bring you sweet joy at the work of karma.

Not wanting the feline to sulk and complain too much, you attempt to reason, "I'm sure it'll benefit us in the future..." You take a moment to gauge a book's title before continuing, "After all, I can't cast magic properly, and all you can do is spit out flames no matter what spell you cast."

You hear the feline grumble at your words as you walk down the aisle of bookshelves. Then, when you stopped before moving on again, Grim speaks up, "Hey, how many more books do you need anyway? I don't want to be late for the chestnuts."

Keeping the comment that he won't be eating any of the nuts to yourself, you address his first question. "One more, but it's being a real pain to find," you answer in irritation. The last book on your list was something your practical magic professor suggested, Wit for a Twit: Magic. Apparently, this world had a For Dummies equivalent. "I'm pretty sure I'm in the right aisle..." You stop before another bookshelf muttering as you raise your gaze higher on the shelves before you. A smile forms on your lips as you spot your target above you, "There it is!" You say in a voice inappropriate for a library, but you're currently more focused on getting that book to care.

Gauging the height, you hope you don't have to look for a ladder in this maze called a library. Moving the books in your hands to one arm, you raise your free hand and stretch your fingers to the book above, propping yourself up by your toes for a boost. You manage to touch the wood of the shelf the book occupies, but that's as far as you can go. You curse under your breath, but before you can lower yourself down to start your dreaded search for the ladder, your feline companion uses you as one. "Let me get it. I don't want to wait– Gah!"

"Grim, you–!" You interrupt yourself by letting out a scream with the feline as his hasty grab at the book causes multiple others to come plunging down on you both from the force. Grim tumbles off you, and you lunge to grab him, the books in your hold being dropped. You then bring him to your chest as you fall to the floor. You snap your eyes shut as the books pelt your body as you protect Grim, who latches onto you while underneath you, from the paper meteorites. "Ouch..." You hiss in pain as you lift your head up to gaze down at the feline holding you tight. Releasing the cage your arms had formed around Grim, you bring him into an embrace while you sit up. "You okay?"

"Y...Yeah." Grim quietly utters while staring at you, an unreadable expression on his face.

You ignore the feline's weird behavior and look around you to spot books scattered. You just hope they weren't damaged since getting into more trouble is the last thing you need right now after the chandelier incident. Sighing, you decide the good thing is that no one was here to see–