Today's prompt is another section from Mika's version of Twisted Wonderland's event. This would be another in between scene, but this would be post Riddle's chapter and the beginning of Leona's chapter. I decided that she would learn about Spelldrive before the start of where Chapter 2 in the game would be because I feel like it would make sense that way.

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

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Ever since the conclusion to the Riddle Rosehearts versus Ace Trappola debacle, the arrival of October brought excitement and peace to Night Raven College. Ace, Deuce, and Mika had been in communication about extra curricular activities. Ace was congratulated for making it onto the College’s basketball team. Deuce had also been congratulated for making it onto the school’s track team. While the basketball team was still practicing for their upcoming games, the track team had a meet coming up immediately. Deuce had been busy practicing for it, and he thought it would be a good idea to invite Mika and Grim to see how he was doing. Grim was too tired of classes to do anything boring like watching someone run around, so Mika let Grim return to, what the gang jokingly called, Ramshackle Dorm, while she jogged all the way to the field, where the track team was practicing.

By the time she got there, the track was flooded with runners, making their way around the large course. A Diasomnia student, who Mika assumed was a third year, stood at the finishing line with a timer. He also called out to the runners to keep up the pace as some of them were falling behind. It had to be the head of the team, so Mika did her best to make herself the least possible distraction. There were others watching, assuming to be friends of those actually on the track team, but because she was a girl and the layperson of the school, it didn’t help her case.

The final lap was coming to a close. The first runners to dash to the finish were approaching, and the head of the team became focused on clocking in their times. Mika was pleasantly surprised to see who was at the front of the pack.

Not Deuce but…

“Jack Howl, seven minutes and fifty three seconds!”

Her hero from September was also on the team? No wonder. He was the first to complete the laps, and seeing how large the track field was, a little under eight minutes was fast. Mika didn’t know why, but seeing Jack in the gym uniform sent shivers down her spine. Witnessing him chug down his water made Mika tired herself, all she did was hike from the school building to the field. She slapped her cheeks, reminding herself why she was there. Before he could look her way, Mika checked her phone to see if Ace had messaged her or something. She only wished that she had someone to message, so it could save her the embarrassment.

“Is there something more interesting on there?”

Mika squeaked and fell flat into the grass. Towering over her was the intimidating stature of Jack Howl, the fastest member of the track team. “Did you have to scare me like that?” she asked, scowling.

“Scare you? For one who faced phantoms before, I scare you?”

“How did you know about that?”

“Your story travels quick around here. Anything the Headmage finds out, everyone else finds out.” Jack stretched his arms behind his back. “What brings you over here anyway? Shouldn’t you be at your club? I don’t recall you at tryouts.”

“Oh, I didn’t join anything.”

“Is that right? Why not? Don’t have any hobbies?”

“Not that…” Even though she didn’t remember anything she liked. “I just don’t have the time.”

Jack closed his eyes and hummed. Based on how neutral he looked, it was difficult to see by body language alone how he thought of Mika’s answer.

“Mika!” Deuce’s voice pecked at her eardrums. It was more alarming by hearing how tired and breathless it was. He approached the conversing duo, nearly kneeling over.

“Goodness, Deuce!” she exclaimed, “Are you alright?”

“Don’t ask. I’m fine. Darn it, eleven minutes forty two seconds. I thought I’d be faster than I was at tryouts by now.”

“You need to start running on your times off, too,” Jack advised.

“Sure thing. That oughta—“ As if he’d been hit in the head with a pebble, Deuce straighten himself, baffled at the sight he was now seeing. “You and Jack? How do you two know each other? When did this happen?”

She forgot that she didn’t tell them about the meeting. Crap! What was she supposed to tell him without getting Deuce riled up again? Jack already gave that Pomefiore student a beating. The last thing she needed was more unwanted second hand rescuing.

“We were at the library. She was looking some book on a high shelf,” Jack interrupted.

She hesitated, but she confirmed Jack’s made up scenario to save both of their faces. Mika didn’t like lying to her new friend, but she wasn’t yet ready to tell him the truth either.

“Oh…” Deuce cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think that you two would interact.”

“I would say the same thing about you,” Jack jested.

“Eh, it’s a small world on campus. Anyway, if I don’t bulk myself up for track, how am I going to look for Spelldrive tryouts?”

A question mark bounced about in Mika’s head. “Spelldrive?”

Deuce shuttered. “What? You’ve never heard of even that?”

“It’s a sport in which you ride on brooms and direct a disc into the goal,” Jack explained. “It’s the most popular sport in all of Twisted Wonderland. Night Raven is well known for having its Houses compete every year for the recognition and the trophy.”

“The school has a competition for that?” Mika felt repetitive for asking so many questions, but she sincerely had never heard of this sport in her life.

“Every year,” answered Deuce. “It’s actually a huge event. Everyone from every House on campus trys out to be on their respective House’s team. The best players from each House then go head to head with each other in the Spelldrive tournament. The best House team will receive all the accolades for the entire school year.”

“Whoa! I didn’t realize it was that big of a deal.”

“If you wanna talk about how big of a deal it really is,” Jack said, sighing in between words, “most of the Spelldrive Club members are from my dorm. They’ve been practicing for the tournament every morning since I was assigned there. We wake up early every morning just to practice, even those not in the club. Our Housewarden has been extra strict since we’re closer to the tryout dates.”

“Gosh, Jack, I can only imagine,” Deuce conjectured. “Our Housewarden has only mentioned it recently. The upperclassmen are pretty confident who’s gonna be on it, and one of them is definitely Trey. He’s the most athletic out of us all.”

“Don’t get down about it now. It’s not going to help you when you actually play.”

“I suppose you’re right. I should get back to the dorm and start practicing some more then. Thank you for the advise.”

Jack scratched behind his left ear. “I do what I can anyway.”

“Sorry this is so sudden, Mika. Thank you for stopping by. It really helped.”

Mika giggled. “No trouble at all. It was great watching you run.”

Deuce bid his teammate and friend farewell as he collected his belongings and started heading back to his dorm with a few more of his housemates.

Mika shifted in place. “Thank you, Jack,” she said nervously.

“For?” he asked.

“Not saying…that thing…”

“It is nowhere my business to say. I figured you didn’t tell him anyway considering how shocked he was seeing us together. If you two are friends, you should tell him…I mean, that’s for you to decide. I’ll still say nothing about it though, so don’t think that I’m a gossip.”

She appreciated Jack’s sentiment. It was odd how he was so honest with her in that way. For someone who didn’t interact with others so often, he always knew what to say and who to say it to.

“Hey, Jack!” A Savanaclaw upperclassman jogged up to him, belongings in hand. “We gotta go home for Spelldrive practice. Housewarden Leona is gonna pop a vein if we’re late.”

Jack growled in annoyance. “Alright…Sorry, Mika, but orders from the Housewarden are orders.”

“Oh, don’t apologize to me. You do what you have to do.”

“Mika…”

“Yes?”

“...Text me sometime, would ya? It’d be nice to have your number…and stuff…”

“Uh, sure! I will later.” She watched Jack bid his goodbye and walk away with his Housemate. As she headed home herself, she pondered the name of his Housewarden.

Leona? Why did that sound familiar?

​

“Leona, get up! You said that you’d attend your classes today.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep the pit in your olive, Ruggie. I’ll get there when I get there. Geez, these professors get grouchier by the minute.”

​

Wait! her mind exclaimed. That lazy lion from the greenhouse was a Housewarden?