Twisted Wonderland X Zhongli!Reader (Version I)

💢Meeting A Freshman💢

Yuu POV:

Yuu and Grim stood on Main Street in awe.

"Wow, so this is Main Street, huh? This is incredible!" Grim exclaimed excitedly until he spotted the seven stone statues that stood before the pair. "I didn't get to see much of it yesterday. What's the deal with these seven statues? All their faces look pretty scary. Like, this lady here looks like she's got some reeeal anger management issues."

Suddenly a boy with sunset orange-red hair appeared beside them. "You don't know the Queen of Hearts?" He asked kiddingly.

"Queen of Hearts? Is she some kinda big deal?" Grim questioned curiously.

"She was a queen who lived in a mazelike garden of roses long, long ago. She was a strict woman who prized order above all. She wouldn't tolerate a rose being off-color, or her playing-card soldiers being out of step. She basically ruled over a kingdom of madness but not one of her subjects dared defy her. You wanna know why? Because the punishment for breaking a rule was immediate decapitation!" He explained with a slight air of respect.

Grim however, felt a shiver down his spine as he finished his explanation. "Wah! That is seriously messed up!"

"Pretty cool, right? I'm a big fan. I mean, who would bother to obey a queen that was kind all the time?" The stranger questioned Grim.

"Yeah, true. A leader needs to be strong. Like Y/n and myself! But puttin' that aside... Who're you, now?"

"Name's Ace. I'm a first-year student here, as of...today! Pleased to meetcha!" Ace introduced himself happily.

"I'm Grim! I'm a prodigy who's plannin' to be, like, the greatest mage who ever lived. That," he pointed towards Yuu, "there's my far less interesting hench-human."

"'Yuu'? Huh. Name's got an odd ring to it." Ace commented.

Yuu stepped forward and introduced himself, "It's nice to meet you. And Grim. I'm not anyone's hench-anything."

Clearly ignoring the magicless human Grim continued his conversation with Ace. "So tell me, Ace. Is that lion with a scar in the eye a famous ruler too?"

"Of course! That's the King of Beasts who ruled the savanna. But he wasn't born into the throne - he had to earn it through hard work and elaborate schemes. When he became king, he decreed that the hyenas would be pariahs no more, and should live among his subjects as equals."

Grim marveled at the inspiring tale, "Sounds like a great guy! Not everyone's able to look past social status like that. Who's the lady with the octopus legs?"

Ace then explained, "The Sea Witch who lived in an underwater grotto. She basically devoted her life to helping troubled merfolk. If they were willing to pay the price, she'd help them change their appearance, find love, whatever! They said she was so good, there was no wish she couldn't grant. They also say the price was a tad steep, though. But she was granting wishes! Of course it was!"

"Myaha! So you're sayin' that once I'm a great mage, gettin' rich off folks will be a total cinch?!"

Yuu could only facepalm himself from behind the two.

"Oh, oh! Do the dude with the big hat next!" Grim commanded with excitement.

"That's the Sorcerer of the Sands. He was an advisor to a total dolt of a sultan. He was a smart guy. Really capable sort. He exposed this swindler once - some guy pretending to be a prince in order to trick the princess! After that, he got his magic lamp and became the greatest sorcerer in the world. Then, they say...he used that power to become sultan himself!" Ace exclaimed with a slight bounce to show how fired up he was.

"Wow! Guess it's true that a mage needs to be an excellent judge of character, huh? And what about this beauty over here?" Grim asked as he pointed towards a beautiful statue of a queen.

"She's a queen who was said to be the fairest in all the land. In fact, she used her magic mirror to check how she ranked on a daily basis! When it looked like her position was threatened, they say she'd do whatever it took to keep it. Can you even imagine the level of dedication it would require to keep a record like that? Also, they say she was a master of making poisons!" Ace mentioned in a mix of awe and envy.

"Geez. She's pretty, but that sounds kinda scary."

"You think so?" Ace asked. "I gotta respect the hustle!"

The usually ego filled Grim then began to stutter, "F-for sure... Sounds like she fought hard for what she believed in, and never gave up! And that one there, with the flaming head? Now THAT guy looks scary!"

"That's the King of the Underworld! Single-handedly ruling a kingdom packed with rambunctious spirit - that takes competence! He may look scary, but he was a straight shooter who worked tirelessly at a job he never even asked for. I mean, this is a guy who was ordering Cerberus, the Hydra, and the Titans into battle for him."

Grim placed a paw on his chin as if pondering something. "Hmm. That IS something. T'think he could have that much power and not let it go to his head! And that last one there, with the horns?"

"That's the Thorn Fairy who lived on a mystical mountain. She was noble and elegant, and a master of magic and curses - even by the standards of these seven! She commanded storms, covered the kingdom with thorns... She could use magic on a massive scale! She could even turn herself into a giant dragon."

There were stars in Grim's eyes. "Ooh, a dragon! Like Y/n! What all monsters yearn to be!"

"Pretty cool, huh? Not like some piddling weasel." Ace said mockingly with a smug grin glued to his face.