"Ah, you're finally back! Took ya long enough." Ace calls to you as you and Deuce walk into the kitchen.
Trey smiles as you set the bags on the counter. "Let's get this tart started!"
Trey finishes the chestnut paste while you and Ace work on the crust for the tarts you're making. Deuce occasionally jumps in to helps but is still in too much of a daze to be of much help if any. You finally role the crust into the tart pan and Trey pours the paste in. Trey puts the tarts in the oven then sets a timer for how long they need to stay in the oven.
Casual banter fills the kitchen while you wait for the timer. Eventually, the timer goes off, causing you to jump in your seat, not expecting the loud beeps. Trey and Ace laugh, amused by your fright. Trey pulls the freshly baked tarts out of the oven and sets it on the island in the kitchen. The delicious smell immediately hits your nose.
Trey grabs a bag of powdered sugar. "Okay, now we just sprinkle on a little powdered sugar, and..."
"Finished!" Ace and Grim cry out.
"Fin...ished." Deuce still looks like he's having a midlife crisis.
Ace turns to you. "Did something happen to him while you were shopping?"
"Uhh, best to let him work through this one himself."
"For sixteen years, I was so sure."
You gently pat Deuce on the back. Ace only rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. I'm pretty beat. Making tarts sure takes it outta you."
"Hey fam!"
You turn to see Carter walking into the kitchen. He lets out a small laugh at your disheveled appearance.
"You look wrecked. Are the tarts done? Ooh, those look sooo cute! Lemme snap a quick pic for Magicam!"
Carter takes various pictures of the tart in different angles while Ace watches on unamused. "What, NOW you decide to show up?"
"I just came to see how hard my little newbs were working."
"It's tough work if you're not used to it." Trey says as he cuts into the tart. "But there's no better cure for the ails of fatigue than something sweet from the oven! Help yourself to some of this tart."
You and the others cheer but Ace gives Carter a suspicious glare. "Pretty funny how you managed to show right when it was ready to eat, Cater."
Carter merely shrugs. "Someone's gotta be the official taster!"
"Mmmm, that smells so good." Grim inhales the smell coming from the tart. "Glossy chestnuts on top, fluffy cream below... I can't wait another second, I'm going in!"
Grim chows down on his slice. You shake your head at Grim's manners. You take a bite along with the others. Delicious flavors of chestnuts and cream fill your mouth. It was the best dessert you have ever tried in your life.
"Oh dang." Ace says in amazement.
"Yuuum! Liked and subscriiibed!" Carter gives Trey a thumbs up.
Deuce stares at the tart in awe, seemingly broken from his trance. "This is like something from a fancy bakery."
Grim closes his eyes as he tastes the tart. "Rich in flavor, yet not too sweet. It's like chestnuts are dancing across my tongue!"
Trey smiles but was a bit confused. "Is that a good thing?"
Carters eyes light up. "Oh, Trey! You gotta do the thing."
"The thing? Oh... That."
Ace quirks an eyebrow. "Uh, wanna fill me in here?"
"What's everyone's favorite food?" Trey ignores his question.
Ace, shocked at the question, thinks of an answer. "Me? Probably cherry pie. Or hamburgers."
"Canned tuna's at the top of my list. Then maybe cheese omelets, roast meat, pudding..." Grim continues to list different foods.
Deuce thinks thoughtfully. "If I had to pick, I guess I'd say... omelet rice?"
"I like a nice lamb chop with diablo sauce." says Carter.
"I guess mine is..." You tell Trey your favorite food.
Trey nods. "All right, you've got it... Let's Paint the Roses!"
Trey waves his pen over the tart slices. Nothing different stands out though. You tilt your head in confusion.
"Huh? What does that mean?" Deuce asks.
Trey only smiles. "Take another bite of your tart and see."
You all take another bite and are immediately surprised. You look at your tart slice quizzically. It now tastes like your favorite food!
Ace stares at his own slice in amazement. "Huh? How- Now it tastes like cherry pie!"
"It's just like canned tuna!" Grim takes another bite. "Now it tastes like a cheese omelet! And grilled meat! And pudding!"
"Neat trick, eh? That's gotta be a hit when Trey's having tea with the ladies." Carter winks in your direction causing you to blush.
"It's very impressive." Deuce nods to Trey. "Is changing flavors your signature spell, Trey?"
"Technically, it's overwriting characteristics. I can change taste, color, smell, whatever. It only lasts for a little while. But it is kinda like covering up the real thing hence painting."
Grim lets out a grin, thinking of all the possibilities. "If I had magic like that, I could be eatin' canned tuna every meal of every day! That's way better than Riddle's stupid collar magic!"
Trey smiles and shakes his head. "Oh, that's in a whole other league. His signature spell is a weapon. Mine's just childish prestidigitation. Speaking of Riddle, it's too late to give him these now. Let's call it a day and do it tomorrow. Don't forget that tomorrow's the unbirthday party. You don't want to be late."
Ace groans. "Y/N, can I crash with you again? It doesn't sound like I'll be allowed back in my own dorm tonight."
Carter tilts his head. "Again, seriously?"
Deuce folds his arms. "It isn't right to keep mooching off of Y/N, Ace."
Grim nods. "Yeah, it ain't! If you wanna stay tonight, you gotta pay for the privilege! Ten cans of tuna!"
"What?" Ace slumps his shoulders. "Guess I'm sleeping outside, then."
Trey thinks for a moment then turns to face Deuce. "Why don't you go and stay at Y/N's dorm too, Deuce, so you can keep an eye on him? As vice housewarden, I can issue you a sleepover pass."
"That's our Trey, always spoiling the newbs." Carter shakes his head. "What fun for you. Ooh, maybe I'll come too! What do you say, Y/N?"
Before you could answer, Trey steps forward. "No pass for you."
"Aww. Sad trumpet... Womp womp wooomp."
You laugh at Carter's attempt at trumpet noises. Trey turns back to you.
"Sorry to dump them all on you, Y/N. At least it's just for tonight."
You shrug your shoulders. "It's no problem. They're way better company than the ghosts."
"Tomorrow's the unbirthday party." Ace lets out a sigh. "Finally, I'm gonna get rid of this stupid collar! Just you wait, Riddle!"
After saying their goodbyes to fellow dorm mates and Y/N, Trey and Carter make their way back in the cool night to their own dorm, Heartslybul. Walking into the dorms foyer, a student comes rushing anxiously towards them.
"Trey! Cater! You're finally back! We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"What happened?" Trey asks
"Ten dorm members were caught violating rule 256: No drinking honey sweetened lemonade after 8 p.m. Housewarden Riddle collared them all!"
The nervous student grips their hair in their hands. Trey and Carter gave one another a look before glancing back to their underclassmen.
"I can't take it anymore! I can't live like this! Everything we do violates some insane rule! I want to transfer to another dorm!"
Trey nods at the frantic student. "It'll be okay. We'll go talk to the housewarden. You go back to your room."
The younger boy thanked them before heading back to his own room. Carter lets out a sigh watching his retreating form.
"Guess I'd better go make some tea or something, as a show of deference to the Queen."
"Thanks, Cater. Oh, but make sure it's herbal tea, not black. You know what rule 153 says about drinking tea at night."
Carter only scratches the back of his head. "...Yeaaah, sure. Of course."
You put the playing cards neatly back in the case and put them away. You sit between Deuce and Ace on the couch in your dorm's foyer, all three of you in your pj's. Grim grumpily folds his arms from his spot on the coffee table.
"Man, how come I lost every time?"
Ace snickers. "Didn't take you for a sore loser."
Deuce laughs alongside Ace. Grim huffs and leaps down from the table.
"I ain't taken' any of this!" Grim marches toward the stairs. He turns back to you. "Y/N, are ya commin'?"
You shake your head. "I'd like to stay here a little longer."
Deuce and Ace mentally fist pump. Grim rolls his eyes and climbs the stairs.
"Whatever, you're always welcome in our room to get away from these idiots."
"Yeah, that's cool for inviting Y/N to her own room." Deuce says as Grim disappears in the hall.
You laugh and shake your head. Ace sighs, leans back and slouches on the couch.
"Now what should we do?"
"I don't know." You let out a sigh. "I wish I had my sketchbook with me then I could at least draw."
Deuce puts a hand to his chin. "Hhmmm." He gets up from the couch and walks over to a closet. "Let me see if I can find anything."
Ace gives you a smirk. "How much do you want to bet he doesn't find anything?"
You laugh and lightly shove Ace. "You're always so mean."
Ace laughs with you. You notice Deuce walking back with a book in hand.
"I found this." Deuce hold up the book. It was light blue with golden rims. Ace raises an eyebrow.
"A book? Seriously?"
"Hey it was all I could find!" Deuce sits down beside you.
"What's the book about?" You ask.
Deuce shrugs. "Not entirely sure but from what I got is it's about a beautiful maiden falling in love with a monstrous beast."
"Ooo let me see!" Ace leans in front of you and snatches the book from Deuce and flips through the pages. His brow furrows.
"How can anyone read this? There's no pictures!"
You laugh. "Some people like to use their imagination."
Deuce shook his head. "Now we know why Ace can't study."
"Hey, I can too!" Ace angrily throws the book back at Deuce who catches it with ease.
"So what should we do?" You ask.
Deuce looks to the coffee table, cheeks tinging pink. "Well... I was thinking I could read it to you guys."
Ace rolls his eyes. "Seriously Deuce? A bedtime story?"
"I-it's something I did all the time with my sisters." Deuce tries to defend himself. "I only thought that since we have nothing to do, may as well?"
You put a reassuring hand on Deuces arm. "I think it's not a bad idea."
Deuce smiles appreciatively. "At least Y/N likes my idea." He directs at Ace.
Ace only rolls his eyes. "Whatever, just read the dumb book already."
You make yourself comfortable next to Ace as Deuce reads the story. The starts with the beautiful maiden lamenting about the poor provincial town she was stuck in. A big narcissistic oaf of a man tries to marry her only for her beauty but she rejects him, wanting adventure and a friend who understands her.
"Ugh this is so sappy!" Ace interrupts.
You shush him, wanting Deuce to continue.
The beautiful maiden rushes to an old, abandoned castle to rescue her father. Upon entering, she finds her father is being held captive by a monstrous beast. To save her father, she offers to take his place and stay at the castle. There, she had to stay in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people with no way of knowing if she could ever go back home. You can't help understanding the maiden's similar situation.
You feel a hand take yours. You turn to see Ace holding your hand, noticing your crestfallen expression. You reassuringly squeeze his hand back, turning back to near the story, all the while holding Ace's hand still.
After the beast saves her from a run in with wolves, the two start to understand one another and find they have similar interests. Though the beast realizes he loves the maiden, he let her go to save her father from a snowstorm. The village that she was from got word about the beast living in the castle and due to the fear the oaf installed in the townspeople, the formed a mob to raid the castle.
You notice your eyes feeling heavy and was getting difficult to keep them open. You felt Aceresting his head on your shoulder having fallen asleep. You don't want to disturb Ace so you didn't try to move him.
The villagers storm the castle but the servants were able to fend them off. But while everyone was distracted, the narcissistic man snuck his way to the beast. The maiden was able to get back to the castle to see the beast fight with the man. She reaches the beast and are happy to see each other, not noticing the man until he stabs the beast in the back. In the struggle, the man falls to his death. The maiden's heart breaks as she confesses her love for the beast. The rain became glowing balls of light that transformed the beast into a handsome prince, his injury healed. The two embraced, happy to be reunited together.
"And they lived happily ever after." Deuce closes the book only to feel you slump against his chest.
Surprised at first, Deuce tries to carefully stand up so you could sleep only for you to snuggle closer to him. Deuce hesitantly puts an arm around you. Feeling drowsy himself, he leans back against the arm of the couch, falling asleep instantly, with you draped across his chest and legs holding into him. Ace's head fell onto your lap, not even waking up. Instead, he wraps his arms around your waist. All three of you comfortably laying on the couch together.
Grim trots down the stairs to see what was taking you so long only to see you fast asleep with the idiots. He rolls his eyes. Surprising even himself, Grim gets some blankets to cover the sleeping trio.
"Why am I doing this when I most likely ain't gonna get a can of tuna out of this?" Grim whispers to himself.
Grim shakes his head. He makes his way back to his and his hench-humans room. "At least I'll be able to have the bed to myself tonight."