Beauty & The Beasts (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

Rise and Fall -89-

Your group's performance never ceases to amaze you. No matter how many times you've seen it, it's always been absolutely beautiful. After all, that was the name of the song. The boys immediately ran up to you after the rehearsal, Kalim up front and looking like a puppy who just did a trick and was waiting for his praise.

"Y/N! Grim! What'd you think of our performance?" The Scarabia housewarden questioned with sparkling eyes. "You were on fire up there! Great job everyone!" You exclaimed. Epel laughed. "The stage was way bigger than our practice room... But it felt kind of nice to dance without worrying about being cramped." He confessed. Jamil let out a light chuckle. "Heh. Even you're coming around." The brunet noted.

Meanwhile, a little while away was Vil with one of the tech people. "I'd like to review our footage right now. And not just the front; I want to know how it looks from both sides." The blonde requested eagerly. A news reporter suddenly ran up to him, wide smile on their face and mic in their hand.

"Great work, Vil!" They complimented, "That was the best performance I've ever seen! I got goosebumps just watching! We're with a Shaftlands news program. Could you spare some time for an interview to be shown on our evening news?" Looking over, Vil sent the camera a dazzling smile. "Certainly."

The reporter grinned excitedly. "Thanks! Night Raven College got selected as this year's SDC host school... So I'm sure there was a lot of pressure on you. But I'd have never guessed it from the flawless performance you put on! Your powerful singing, your sharp dance moves... It wasn't just good for students—it was professional to a tee! It's hard to find groups as good as yours the world over. And I'd expect nothing less from a team led by Vil Schoenheit!" They ranted on quickly.

Rising his chin up proudly, Vil huffed. "Thank you kindly. We went through some very rigorous rehearsals to get here, so I'm delighted you enjoyed it. We'll have an even better performance at showtime—no, we'll have the fairest in the land. Don't miss it." The reporter laughed. "After a first act this strong, I think I'll end up watching the following acts with a much more critical eye." They warned.

Grim let out a small gasp within your arms. "Ooh! That's a promisin' start right there!" He whispered to you. The reporter continued with their interview. "Actually, we're planning on posting ten-second promo videos to Magicam. They're going to include footage of the representative teams in their rehearsals, as a preview of what the SDC will be like live. The headmage has granted his permission already. I believe his words were, "Whatever generates more hype for the SDC." Would you be willing to review our footage?" They requested hopefully.

"I'd be happy to." Vil responded pleasantly. Jamil suddenly hummed in realization. "Ah, I see now. On the surface, the SDC is purely a school music recital. They don't reveal song titles or lineup order until showtime. But it gets a lot of commercial attention, which necessitates advertising to build excitement." He stated.

Ace scoffed and crossed his arms. "Sounds like a lot's going on under the cowl. But it makes sense to wait to the last minute. That way nobody can come up with counter-plays after watching another school's performance, or change their song." The strawberry blonde added.

"Thanks for your help! We'll be posting this video right now." The news reporter said to which Vil responded with a similar enthusiasm. "No, thank YOU. Now, if you'll excuse me." Vil drew out before calmly walking away.

With his phone out, Ace grinned widely at the most recent post. "Oh, hey! The video just went up on the TV station's Magicam account!" You gasped and crowded into his side. "Let me see!" You exclaimed. As the video, Deuce cringed slightly. "Whoa, you're right! Gah, I saw myself for a second there... and I think my dancing is kind of stilted." He confessed.