Into the World of Twisted Wonderland Pt 2

👑 The Beautiful Tyrant: Chapter 21 👑

"In my infinite generosity, I shall field that question!" Crowley happily exclaims while Grim and Angel flinch at his, once again, sudden appearance.

"Myah! Headmage!" Grim exclaims in shock. "Again with the poppin' outta thin air? You're scarin' the daylights outta me!"

"Oh, I beg your pardon," he apologizes. "I did not especially mean to conceal my presence, for what it's worth." He clears his throat. "Ahem. Anyway. Allow me to explain why you were summoned here with the ensemble members," he announces. "Starting this weekend, we will have four weeks until the Song & Dance Championship kicks off. And I would be ever so appreciative if you could share Ramshackle Dorm as the site for their training camp!" He happily says.

"TRAINING CAMP?!" Everyone exclaims in shock.

Angel thinks about the situation. "We do have a lot of empty rooms," she says, knowing that the dorm is abandoned for a reason, but cleaned. "But..." She glanced at the seven, seeing that most of them are in disbelief at the news as well, with Vil and Rook calm about the situation. Will everyone even get along?

"Headmage, why would we need to stay together at a training camp when it's already on campus?" Jamil asks. "We all have our own dorms."

"It's a team-building exercise," Crowley states. "You come from different dorms, different class years, different birthplaces, different cultures..." He lists. "It is my hope that living together will help foster a greater sense of camaraderie."

"It's true that first-rate music groups eat at the same table and sleep under the same room to build rapport," Vil states.

"I considered Pomefiore as an option, but I feared that would make some members feel more out of their element than others," he says as he looks at the four. "At Ramshackle Dorm, however, everyone would be starting from the same baseline."

"Ah!" Angel exclaims, knowing his intentions. "Plus, you're saying there wouldn't be anyone abusing their status as housewarden or vice housewarden either if they are under a dorm with neutral ground," she says as she looks at the set of housewardens with their vice housewardens.

"Correct indeed, Angel!" Crowley happily exclaims, happy at her understanding.

"Th-this is still really sudden..." Deuce says in shock.

"Yeaaah, I'm suddenly getting a powerful urge to drop out," Ace sighs.

"I think a mixed dorm training camp sounds like a blast!" Kalim happily says. "My only question is, would it be okay for both me and Jamil to be absent from Scarabia for a whole month?"

"Worry not, my boy," Crowley assures him. "I will be exercising my authority as the headmage to support you all in whatever capacity you need. Oh what a kindly soul I am! It is in Night Raven College's best interest to take other schools down a peg and win the title of 'the world's greatest" for ourselves."

Angel nods at the explanation, understanding the plan, but Grim looked at him with a scowl. "Hold your horses, Crowley," he says. "If we ain't in the ensemble, why should we contribute to this at all? I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Really, Grim?" Crowley curiously says. "Are you certain of that? You know, if you find it in your heart to share your dorm for the training camp, there might be something nice in it for you..."

The statement makes Grim's ears twitch, a bit interested in the words. "Myah? Wh-what kinda 'nice' are we talkin' here?" He asks, curious about the offer.

"Should our team win first place, Rook and I will donate our shares of the prize to Ramshackle Dorm," Vil finishes, shocking the both of them.

"What?" Angel says with eyes wide. "But we're not even competing...Why would you do that?" She asks, curious of even why the option came about in the first place.