Before I explain the inspiration for the prompt, let's talk about my first TWST OC, Mika. Mika is basically my filler for the Yuu character from the TW game. When she is swept away to Twisted Wonderland, she can't seem to remember anything before the start of her new life at Night Raven College. She knows what certain things are and holidays, but she can't remember her old life for the life of her. Like "Yuu" in the game, she befriends the NRC students one by one. However, she ends up with a closer connection to Jack, who she gets to know better during Riddle's chapter (before he overblots) when Jack steps in and defends her from a school bully. So in my version of the universe, Jack and Mika would end up together.

Today's prompt inspired me to write a scene from Mika going through the main story of Twisted Wonderland. This scene would occur after Azul's chapter but before the events of Jamil's chapter. Let's assume that after the whole events of Azul and the midterm exams debacle, that winter officially began before the campus's winter break. What a way to start the season off better than for the gang to enjoy the snow before class?

Link to original post: https://old.reddit.com/r/TwistedWonderland/comments/xe5lzy/twstober_prompt/

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The last thing Mika expected to wake up to the morning after celebrating at the Monstro Lounge was the Ramshackle and Night Raven College properties blanketed in familiar white from the ground to the rooftops.

How long has it been since exams when we are now getting snow?

At least it was on a weekend day and not when Mika and Grim had to hike all the way up the cliff path to the school building. As she dressed into her day clothes, Grim woke up from his typically deep slumber as the clouds revealed the sun. “Myah! Did the sun have to come up so early on a Saturday?”

“Grim, it’s eight o’clock,” muttered Mika.

The gremlin cat stretched his tiny arms and back when he realized what the outside looked like. “Huh? Mika, we got invaded!”

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“The gloominess of our yard is gone!”

“Grim, it snowed last night.”

“Snowed?” Grim took a look out the window again. After a few seconds of disbelief, he scoffed. “I knew that, but dag, that was quick.”

Mika rolled her eyes. She finished brushing her hair in the cracked mirror when her phone bleeped. She peeked and when she read Ace’s name, she immediately picked up.

Got notified that it snowed on main campus? True?

Mika smirked. She pointed her phone at the window, snapped a picture, and tapped the send button. What felt immediate about thirty seconds later came Ace’s response.

Whatever plans you have today, cancel them. Deuce and I are on our way over.

On their way? Mika thought. For what?

“Mika, can we go outside and see the snow?” mewed Grim. “Please?”

“Well, it is the weekend off after all. Why not?”

Mika slipped into her boots and trotted down the stairs, following Grim to the front door. She barely had the door open when he dashed out of the house like a dog first thing in the morning. The creature jumped off the porch and dove into the snowy pile. He leapt and dove back in multiple times, laughing like Ruggie after seeing someone fall flat on their face. He called back to Mika to join in because it was too much fun to watch from the front of the house.

“It’s like swimming in clouds on the ground,” he said.

Mika chuckled. Grim’s invitation was tempting, but for some reason, the snow wasn't nostalgic enough to crave it. Perhaps, it was still the memory loss. She was sure that where she was from had snow during the winter, but the pleasant memories didn’t click yet.

“Oye! Mika! Grim!”

Right on queue, Mika said to herself as Ace and Deuce trudged their way through the whiteness. It was the first time she’d seen the boys in snow gear, and she found two Heartslabyul marshmallows walking towards her amusing.

“Yo, Mik, aren’t ya cold?” Ace asked.

“Don’t tell me that’s your only jacket,” Deuce said, pointing out the baggy frock that dripped from her shoulders.

“I apologize for being poor,” Mika replied, resenting the headmage with every word she spat.

“Well, I gotcha covered.” Ace shimmied his way to the porch. He pulled out a folded scarf and a pair of gloves, colored orange red of course, from his coat pockets. “Keep ‘em, take ‘em. They’re my brother’s hand-me-downs anyway.”

She thanked him as she covered her hands and neck with the gifted gear. As she observed the items, the familiar ping in her mind returned. Something about homemade clothes rushed a warm sensation inside her.

“You like them?”

“Oh, yes. I do.”

“Mika, it’s like you’re one of them now,” Grim joked.

“Well, now that you’re all ready for the winter weather, Deuce?”

The blue-haired boy whipped his arm from behind his back and smacked Grim in the face with a snowball. The creature flew into the porch stairs from the impact.

“What the heck was that for?” Grim shouted.

“Snowball fight!”

Clumps of snow went flying at those two magical words. Teams were not exactly established, but Mika had a feeling that it wasn’t competitive anyway. She spent most of the time hiding behind one of the dead trees, throwing snowballs at whoever was closest. That was until Ace snuck around, dropped a snow patch down her jacket’s hood, and flipped the hood over her head. Deuce and Grim fell to the ground laughing at Mika screaming the word, “Cold!” over and over again. Despite her body stiffening at the freezing temperature that had invaded her clothes, it was the most fun Mika’s ever had yet.

“Oye!” a deep, growly voice rang out. All four of them stopped messing around and found a tall beastman jogging towards them. “What a mess you made of the yard. Have you no shame?”

“What’s up, Jack?” greeted Ace.

“What brings you here?” asked Deuce.

“Yeah, what gives?” peeped Grim. “I thought the Savanaclaw kids liked it hot.”

“I’m used to it. I live in the north mountains of the Shaftlands.”

Deuce nearly choked on his words. “Do you? It must snow up there all the time.”

“Unless it’s summer and spring, yeah, it does. Anyway, I came by to see if Mika and Grim wanted some hot chocolate.” He pulled out at least ten packages of hot chocolate from his winter coat pockets, five from the left, five from the right.

“Myah!” exclaimed Grim. “Hot chocolate, you say?”

“Jack, that is very generous of you,” Mika responded, “but are you sure? This must be expensive.”

“Like Leona would even bother. Last night, he sent Ruggie to the Mystery Shop to get a warm drink package for the dorm, but that package had hot chocolate with it, which most of us in the dorm are allergic to anyway.” Jack blushed and scratched the back of his neck. “You’re just the first person I thought of giving these to.”

“Thank you, Jack. Seriously.”

“Woohoo! Free hot chocolate!” Ace cheered. “This is the best first snow of the season ever!”

“Do you want to join us inside, Jack?” Mika offered, gesturing to the front door. “We have tea and other drinks for you.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to offer a rain check on that,” he sheepishly replied. “Winter break is approaching and I need to finish packing for home.

Grim cocked his left eyebrow. “Isn’t winter break next week? That’s still plenty of time considering retake exams are over.”

“I know, but I just want to be ready for when it comes. I’ll see you in class. Enjoy the hot chocolate.”

The gang bid Jack adieu as he jogged back towards the man building. His tail slightly flicked left and right as he departed. Mika thought, For quite the anti-socializer, he sure got joy out of doing such a nice thing. She only wished that Jack could’ve stayed longer, so that Mika could’ve done something for him in return. She supposed that she could figure that out at a later date. Hopefully, that was before the students would leave for the holidays.

“If no one else will say it, I will,” blurted Grim. “That wolf boy’s got the hots for Mika.”

“Grim!”

“He’s right though, Mik,” Ace cut in. “He literally could’ve given those hot chocolate packets to anyone he passed by on the way here, but he ran all the way to Ramshackle instead.”

“His face told the story pretty much,” Deuce said.

“Oh, don’t put words in Jack’s mouth,” Mika scolded. “If he wants to be nice, he’ll be nice. I appreciate his kind offer. Please respect that.”

Grim scoffed. “Whatever brings your fantasy to the real world, bucko.”