#this was a failure. I’ll try again next year 😅

[chibi-celesti]

Phase 02-Book 01: Dia Rosa Rudje (pt. 6)

Previously: “I was gonna let you guys go nicely after breaking the eggs and the little chicks they used to be. But for you to call Melenas-san ‘Bitch!’ I AIN’T LETTING THAT SHIT SLIDE!!!” Deuce smirked. “IF YOU AIN’T GONNA APOLOGIZE, I’LL MAKE YOU APOLGIZE!!”

A/N: I don't have a bias towards Deuce, what are you talking about 😅 🤣

~Twisted Tonelico~

Deuce charged at the bullies, not caring for any decorum he may have had. He despised how callus these boys were, and he would’ve let them pass if they said sorry for the broken eggs. But to disrespect someone-disrespect a girl- ‘HOW DO THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT?!’

He managed to punch one square in the jaw, and upper cutted the guy’s other friend with a painful hook. Meryu fretted over Deuce cause he was outnumbered two to one, and even he seemed to get a few bruises here and there. But somehow, against those odds, he was still standing!

When one of the bullies fell over, he looked at the girl, and this made Meryu panic as the bully got up fast and charged at her. “So much for your boyfriend protecting you!”

Ka-Boom!! “Ahhh!!” The second bully was blasted back to the first; it happened so quickly, Deuce nor the bullies saw it coming!

“Melenas-san?!”

The Reyvateil in question looked scared but also angry. “You two jerks got a lot of nerve to cause us grief again. Leave us alone now, or else I’m happy to show you what happens when you hurt me or my friends!”

The former duo slowly got up again, and gave up fighting the two First Years. “Alright, we get it. We’re outta here.” They left in as much of a hurry as they could with their battered bodies. Once they knew the bullies were gone, Deuce slumped to the ground exhausted and close to tears.

“Dammit… why did I let them get  to me like that?!” He wanted to cry before feeling the girl next to him hug him.

“It’s ok if you have to,” she told him. “I’m right here for you.”

He clung to her and wept into her shoulder. He knew he shouldn’t be crying right now, but the pent up feelings and past he had long buried came back, and Deuce couldn’t help but feel like a failure. ‘So much for me trying to be an Honor Student…’

Meryu didn't judge him at all. She just continued to hold him until he calmed down enough to let go of her. “Want me to heal you, Deuce?”

“Y-you don’t have to, Melenas-san.”

“Meryu.”

“Huh?” He turned to her with a quizzed look on his face.

“Please, call me Meryu.”

He felt himself blushing. “Ok…Meryu-san. And… um…you can heal me if you want.”

She nods to him before reciting the same hymn she used earlier. The little lamb appeared again with her bell and patched up all of his injuries. Meryu’s voice felt comforting as it healed the scrapes on Deuce’s body.

Even after the last note disappeared into the wind, he continued staring at Meryu . He felt like he was in the presence of a guardian angel. He felt embarrassed for letting the old him out like that against those jerks. ‘But still…’

“Meryu-san, I’m sorry about what happened just now. I didn’t think that part of me would come back out?”

“Come back out?” she tilted her head in confusion.

After mulling about it for a moment, Deuce came clean about his past. He confessed that he used to be a delinquent, one that was almost as bad as the ones they fought. He talked about how he skipped school everyday, causing trouble for a lot of people; especially his mother. He mentioned how one night he heard his mother talk to his grandmother about how she felt like she wasn’t a good mother because of all the trouble he was making. And how that one conversation between his family made him change his ways.

“The day the Dark Carriage came to get me, I was so happy. I felt like I could show my mother that if I could become an Honor Student here, I can make her proud of me.” Deuce downcast his eyes. “But look at me, I caused her trouble again…”

“Well…to be honest, Deuce,” this caught his attention. “Some Honor Students aren’t always goody two shoes. They stand up for what’s right.” Meryu cupped his hands in hers and smiled at the bluenette. “Even if they end up getting their hands dirty.”

Deuce smiled back, taking her words to heart. “I guess you’re right.” He turned to the bag with broken eggs. “I do hope the chicks are able to rest easy after this.”

Meryu felt like she should correct him about the truth of those eggs, but after their encounter with those bullies, she rather not ruin it for Deuce.

Once she made sure Spade was fine and well, the pair continued their walk back to Trey and the others.

~Night Raven: School Kitchen~

“FINALLY!! What took you two so long to get here?!” Grim whined. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was worried why Deuce and Meryu took forever to get the stuff they needed to finish the Unbirthday Tart.

“Sorry, Grim. We had a minor… set back is all,” Meryu explained. Deuce nodded to vouch her reason.

“Is that what the kids call it these days?” Deuce wanted to clock the Heart, but his hands were tied with groceries.

Trey came and collected the bags from the pair, noting the cracked eggs in the bag. “I see what you mean. But luckily, the eggs should still be good for us to use.” He rushed the two to wash their hands before starting the next step of the tart. He had already taken care of baking the crust, so the filling and cream topping were the last few parts that needed to be finished.

The tag team efforts of Trey, Deuce and Grim make the final look of the dish appetizing. Everyone was amazed by the beauty of the Mont Blanc before them. The almond colored creamy swirl paired with the soft, yet crispy crust and set of chestnuts on top was mesmerizing to look at. This was a pastry they could not wait to taste at the party.

As soon as they were finished, a certain Diamond appeared. “Hey-hey, lil freshies! How’s the prep work coming along~?”

“Tiring, but worth it! We finished making it!”

Cater was impressed by the outcome of the tart. He didn't think they had it in them to make it, even with Trey’s help. But, he admits, he’s amazed by the outcome.

“We’re almost finished. There is one last step to do before we set this tart away for the Unbirthday Party.” The quartet looked at him confused. Their answer was a smile from their seniors. “As the bakers, we get to taste test our tart to make sure it’s perfect!” ‘OOOOOooooooo!!!!!!’

Grim hearing that they could eat a piece jumped for joy. “Yahoo! I wanna try! I wanna try!”

“Oi! Save some of the rest of us!” Ace chastised him.

“Hey, Trey. Why not show them that trick of yours.” Trick?

“I wouldn’t call it a trick, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to show. What is everyone’s favorite food?”

Each of the group named off a food they liked: Ace chose Cherry Pie and Hamburgers, Grim with Canned Tuna feat. some other oddities… Deuce went with Omelette Rice, Cater’s choice was Lamb chop with diablo sauce, and Meryu…

“Hmm… is Cinnamon Potato Donuts ok with you, Mr. Trey?”

“All good choices.” The greenette pulled out his pen and waved it about. “Doodle Suit!”

In a flash, a bright light glowed onto the leftovers of the Mont Blanc. It still looked like the same tasty treat, so they wondered what Trey did to it.

“Now, try a bite of the tart.” They all did as he asked, and the look on everyone’s faces sans Cater was awestruck and amazement.

“Whoa! It tastes just like cherry pie!” Ace exclaimed. He took another bite, and noticed that it tasted a bit like a hamburger. “No way! This is amazing!”

Grim was in heaven, as each bite he took had the flavor of the very meals he listed. Meryu was left speechless from the flavor of her favorite donuts tickling her taste buds.

Deuce asked the very question that was on the First Year's minds. “Trey-senpai? How did you do that?!”

“That was thanks in part to my Unique Magic: Doodle Suit. It allows me to change the characteristics of an object for a short while. It’s nothing special, really.”

“That’s amazing, Mr. Trey. And you should give yourself more credit. It’s a fascinating type of magic.” She recalled back at lunch when her senior had mentioned what Unique Magic was, and how it differs from Mage to Mage. If his Magic is something as simple as this compared to the frightening power of  Riddle’s, she wonders what everyone else’s magic is like!

“Aww, Trey! Looks like you have a #Superfan in Ryu-ryu!” Cater teased. Rendering Meryu a flustered mess, and Trey waving off Cater’s compliment.

“Like I said, my magic is nothing special.” He laughs.

~Night Raven: Heartslabyul Dorm~

Tart made and ready for the party, Ace left with Meryu and Grim back to Ramshackle. Trey allowed Deuce to go with them with his permission while he and Cater went back to their dormitory. With the Mont Blanc in hand, they were prepared to face the Unbirthday Party and the Tyrannical Riddle Rosehearts.

Upon the seniors’ arrival back to their dorm, they encountered one of their dormmates in distress. He told them that Riddle had collared ten more of his students due to them breaking rule 256: No drinking Honey-sweetened lemonade after 8p.m.

The student started breaking down. “I can't take this anymore. Everything we do breaks some insane rule.” He immediately began sobbing. “I want to leave this dorm. I want to transfer out of here!”

The duo comforted the sobbing dormmate, telling him to go to bed while they spoke to Riddle. He wiped away his tears and left.

Once their dormmate was gone, the Clover turned to the Diamond. “I'll go talk to Riddle. Could you…?”

“Say no more. I'll go brew Riddle a tea in deference to him.”

“Thank you. And remember; it needs to be herbal tea, not black. You know rule number 153 says about drinking tea at night.”

“Yeeaaaah, ok.”

~Phase 02-Book 01: Dia Rosa Rudje-Tes Biron~