Twisted Wonderland

A Garden Spat

You, Ace, Deuce and Grim are walking in the woods behind the campus. Grim bolts once he spots the chestnut trees.

"Whoa! There really are a ton of chestnuts just layin' around. I'm gonna be livin' large on chestnut tarts! Mmm! Let's get grabbin'- YOWCH!" Grim pulled his paw back from the chestnut, holding it close to his chest.

"Myah! The chestnut spines pricked my paws!"

"I don't think we can do this with our bare hands." Deuce says. "And we need something to put them in, too."

"Maybe we can find some supplies in the botanical garden?" Ace suggests.

Deuce nods. "Let's take a look."

You and the others enter the school botanical garden. It was a huge, glass domed building that was filled with various different plants. Immediately upon entering, the humidity inside hits you like you walked into a wall. A path from the door split into three, leading towards different locations inside the garden.

Ace lets out a low whistle. "Whoa, I didn't realize this place was so huge."

"If it's this large, it's got to have a groundskeeper. Let's split up and look." Deuce suggests.

"Sure. Dibs on the right side." Ace already started walking along the right path.

"Then how about I go left, while you and Grim go straight ahead?" Deuce turns to you.

You nod and head your separate ways. You and Grim stroll through the middle path, taking in the scenery as you go. Everywhere you look there's beautiful flowers and trees and bushes full of fruits. Grim eagerly sniffs the fruit he finds.

"Hey, come take a look at this! There's a ton of fruit growing here! Smells like they're ripe, too!"

"Hey!"

You jump at the harsh voice. You whirl around to see a boy emerge from the foliage, he towers over you. He has thick, dark-brown hair that goes below his shoulders in length, with long, side parted bangs that fall over his eyes. Two sections of hair on both sides of his face are braided and tied at the ends with yellow bands. He has emerald green eyes and a thin scar over his left eye that goes from his eyebrow to his cheek. He doesn't wear his uniform jacket but still has his long sleeved white undershirt rolled up to his elbows and a yellow vest paired with black gloves. You notice brown lion ears peaking through his hair along with a lion tail swishing side to side. You remember him from the ceremony.

"You got some nerve steppin' on my tail and just walkin' away!"

"Are you the groundskeeper?" Grim steps besides you. "Not sure you oughta be talkin' to students that way, pal."

The lion scoffs. "Ain't nothin' worse than bein' in the middle of a good nap and havin' some jerk step on your tail."

"I'm so sorry," You try to reassure the angry lion. "I didn't see your tail on the path."

"You... I know you." He takes a step closer to you. "You're that herbivore from orientation who couldn't use magic." The lion leans towards you and sniffs the air around you.

You take a step back. "Uhh."

The lion leans back, looking unimpressed. "Huh. It's true. You don't smell of magic at all. Well, can't say it'd be much fun to hurt someone so helpless. Still gonna do it, though."

Grim leaps into your arms and leans in to whisper to you. "I dunno what's up with this guy, but when he looks at me, it makes every follicle of fur stand on end."

"No one gets to stomp on my tail and just walk away without payin' the price. I'm in a bad mood on account of bein' woken up from my nap, too. That's gonna cost you a tooth."