Ace groans. "We still had to do all the cleaning and party preparation, though." Really? That's what you're going to do when hair-trigger Riddle's right there?

"There, there, Dorm Leader had to recover—so we had to do our fair share." Deuce is far too sweet, but also dumb, and with his delinquent side—I think the two of them balance each other out.

Except they're not Pinky and the Brain, they're just two different Pinkys.

Does that make me the Brain?

Ohhhh no.

"Ah—the garden looks perfect for pictures! How satisfying!" Cater with a phone, how original.

"Let's hurry up and eat!" Grim interrupts, excited by the spread all around—which is fair, because, let's face it! Food is great and that's why we're here, and at least we didn't have to put in all the weird effort for a dorm that isn't ours. That better not be a trend. I am still deep in cleaning.

"Okay!" Cater calls out. "Without further delay…"

Except there is further delay when Riddle interrupts: "Wait a moment!"

"Oh?" Resounds many.

"That white rose…" Riddle turns his gaze to a single unfinished rose some distance away. Oh boy.

"Did we forget?!" Ace cries.

Cater cries out too. "Ace, Deuce, you said you got them all!"

"Why blame us?!" Deuce trembles in fear.

"Riddle—this is!" Trey immediately tries to soothe it over.

"At least let us have food before we do this again…" I sigh.

"I'm joking." The teapot tyrant says with a giggle. "I promised not to get angry over every little thing, right?" This asshole. This asshole right here. But he looks so precious. Help.

"Really!? Cheers for Riddle!" Cater calls out, looking so relieved he might faint.

"It will be much faster if we paint them together." Riddle, no. Please.

"I just want food…" I murmur, as Grim grumbles beside me; we're both a bit food motivated until we settle into a regular eating routine. It's hard.

"Are you sure you've changed!?" Ace cries out indignantly, which he should.

"Now, now… yes. Yes, you've changed a little, haven't you, Riddle?" Trey shouldn't be giving him props for the bare minimum, but he is also clearly dorm mom. So, whatever.

I am also a dorm mom. And Housewarden. And the only reasonable and responsible member of Ramshackle which isn't saying much when it's just the two of us and the occasional freeloader or two hanging around—ghosts don't really count, I think… or… is that mean? Well, they're not students, so in this case they are residents that don't count.

"I can't wait any longer—we need to start the party part!" Grim's actual raring to help color roses? Color me surprised.

Riddle gathers everyone up with a bright smile on his face; I can't help but go along and fetch a paint bucket and brush myself—the ladders I'll have to fetch as we have OSHA violations to contend to, after all. Three points of contact don't exist in Twisted Wonderland. "Everyone! Are you ready!?" The various teams are set up to finish this work.

"Yes!" Many cry out in agreement

As we're set up, Trey's the one that poses the question: "When was the last time you helped paint the roses red, Riddle?"

"Not since I became Housewarden; however, it seems like a fine time to help the clueless freshmen." Riddle grins at Ace and Deuce, which, fair enough.

"What—us?" Deuce asks.

"We're not—hey!" Ace is equally insulted.

"Pfft, whatever, I'm going to wipe the floor with Riddle." Grim declares, and my eyes roll.

"Maybe after some more school, Grim." And I gently, and delicately start to paint.

"We'll see." Riddle grins; amused at Grim more than anything, which I am thankful for given Riddle's notoriously explosive temper. We already had a big incident...

The painting goes on easily; Riddle's magic is quite impressive with how easily he changes the colors of the roses. I wonder if the roses are just endlessly painted for their purposes? I guess the paint fades in time since we have to do this over and over—but why are they white at the base instead of red in the first place?

I may never know.

"The coat of paint is too thin! Remember, to coat them evenly!" Riddle calls out to it-better-not-be-me.

"So demanding… does he have a chill button?" Ace complains.

Cater laughs loudly. "Riddle wouldn't be Riddle if he wasn't a perfectionist!"

"If you want to do something, why would you not do it perfectly?" Riddle asks almost indignantly to us. "There is no cutting corners—these will be done right."

It is a time before we finish, with a final move from Riddle where he paints an entire tree at once. The Housewarden of Heartslabyul looks so satisfied. "And that is how it's done."

"Damn! I couldn't even raise my pen before he did that!" Ace is clearly impressed, surprised, and maybe a little afraid.

"Talk about leading by example." Deuce comments.

"Applied magic is Riddle's specialty after all!" Cater informs us with a grin.

"It's wonderful, Riddle." Trey, of course, lays on that nice compliment to have Riddle strut like a peacock as he heads back to the somewhat-abandoned Unbirthday Party.

"Now we can begin the best Unbirthday Party!" He declares, taking his seat with a satisfied smile. Yeah, this guy's a big perfectionist.

Of course, Grim and I were drug into this.

"Let's eat!" Grim, and his one-track mind never fail.

But he's right.

"Wait wait—what about that tart, you made, Housewarden?" Ace never forgets a grudge, does he? I need to teach him how to not be so petty. But I am in fact a petty queen sometimes so maybe I shouldn't talk.

"I—I made… a strawberry tart." Oh, he seems a little shy. Is it his first time baking?

I'm now concerned.

Trey eyes it critically. "The shape is a little off, yet the nappage technique is good—and it shows how the strawberries can shine."

iThey shined to me like forbidden jewels/i. I recall, the voice in my head that was Riddle's during the Overblot. I swallow hard; I haven't told anyone about this, and I'm not sure I should. But the proof that it was Riddle I was hearing shows, because that's exactly how these strawberries shine to me.

Jewels.

"There you go, spoiling him!" Ace scolds Trey, and I have to roll my eyes. "Let's just eat!"

"Wait, let me take a pic first!" Cater's got his phone out and honestly have I ever really seen it leave his right hand? I'm not sure right now. He carefully moves to take pictures, and sits back down with a grin. "Done! Perfect for my feed!"

"He's never going to change that habit, is he?" But Ace is grinning. "NOW we can eat!"

We've got slices before us now, and it is beautiful. I don't mind if my food isn't picture perfect, either, it's all about taste—but these strawberries are probably just as beautiful as the ones Riddle saw as a child.

Maybe I need to talk to him.

Without further adieu, we take a bite… why does it smell…?

Fucking Christ on a Cracker I have never had salty strawberries and I never want to again.

There is surprise from the fellow tart-eaters, and Riddle committed quite a sin—not tasting his shit as he makes it. Okay, well, it's harder with baked goods to a degree but this is a sin all the same.

"It's so—SALTY!" So many cry out at once.

I stare at Trey. Hard. I know how this happened.

Riddle is taken aback, "WHAT?!"

"What even IS this?!" Ace coughs. "How is it so salty!? What did you put in it?!"

iTrey Clover/i.

"I bought all of the ingredients according to the recipe, I followed it every step of the way… How could this have—ah!" I know the big reveal and I am now concerned for Riddle. "Could it be because of the Oyster Sauce?" Bingo.

I'm shaking my head.

"You mean the supposed secret ingredient that Trey told us about before?" Deuce asks. Yep, yep, exactly.

"...But Trey told me that it's a secret ingredient to every tart recipe… oyster sauce…" Riddle, you sweet summer child.

Ace gags. "HOW did you not realize that was bullshit?!" Ace, not everyone is so jaded to the world as you clearly are… but you also fell for it first.

Of course I call him right out. "Says Ace Trappola that fell for it hook, line, and sinker himself." He's not getting away with this top-tier bullshit.

"Still, it's far too salty for a secret ingredient. Those are usually a dash." Cater IS correct. Good on Cater. "How… much did you put in, exactly?"

What a firm frown on Riddle's face. He is clearly pouting. It's such a cute pout, too. "...Since it wasn't in the recipe, I didn't know… I just put in a lot since I was making a lot…" Oh. Oh this—maybe the teapot tyrant's the teapot cutie now because I am definitely in that mood where too much is cute. I don't know how it happens. It's like an infectious disease and I want to give him a hug for being adorable.

It doesn't help he's like an inch shorter than I am, l-o-l.

Finally, Trey loses his composure entirely and bursts into rancorous laughter. "I—I can't b-believe you t-took it s-so seriously!" Yeah, it is amusing, but we are also down a fine desert that Grim is still eating.

I slowly slide my plate to him; he can have it too.

I am surprised that Riddle cheers up instead of getting angry. This is actual character development. He's laughing too! "That's right—I was foolish!" What a fit of giggles.

The tension is out of the air, and a chorus of laughter comes and comments from the troublesome two.

"But it's really good…" Grim remarks, as he's starting on the gifted piece.

I can't account for a monster's pallet.

"Oh, yeah! It's definitely not inedible." Someone doesn't like sweets. Crazy Cater is his new nickname. Actually, savory is my favorite pallet. Or maybe umami? Meaty, heavy dishes for me.

And I don't like that much salt. That's weird coming from an American when our diet is warm and salty.

"Oh no! Is Cater turning into Grim!?" Deuce also finds it inedible. I think he's going to follow my lead here and give it to our own garbage disposal of class 1-A.

"No, no, it's not like that!" Cater laughs a little at that ridiculousness.

"You like it because it's not sweet, right?" Trey remembers.

"Then why are you up for sweets…?" I have to question that bullshit.

"Trey—how did you know? I haven't told anyone about that!" Cater, it's probably observation. You can tell a lot about people if you watch.

"When we have sweets, you ask pretty often for me to use my Doodle Sketch technique to change the flavor—so I assumed you didn't like sweets. It's the only thing you ask me to overwrite." See? Point proven. Observation of people leads to understanding—it's a good friend technique. Trey gets a gold star.

"So you figured it all out… you know, this might work for Riddle." Cater starts.

Trey laughs a little. "How about quiche next Unbirthday Party?"

"Well, thanks—but make them just as photogenic as your cakes, okay!?" Someone's a little too addicted to the Magicam.

I should notice that treats are being consumed without anyone there, but slowly a person appears into view and it's Pinkaa, "All of Trey's sweets are so delicious, I'll keep eating them forever!" Laughing, the face-stuffed cat-person of purple and pink hue. I…

He's not dressed for the Unbirthday Party.

"Chenya, what are you doing here?!" Riddle looks so startled and surprised.

"Hm~? Oh, I came to celebrate this Unbirthday Party with you! Congratulations, Riddle!" They're definitely old friends. It's nice to see Riddle with friends—the normal one and the weird one.

And then Riddle ruins it by being Riddle, arms crossed and giving a stern look to the appearing guest. "The Unbirthday Party is a tradition that is exclusive for the Heartslabyul Dorm of Night Raven College. This does not include you, does it?" So the fuck are Grim and I?

I think we got adopted.

Grim is like four or five plates in right now. I think he may die of Riddle Tart. Welp.

I can't say this is America but there's freedom enough to pop by eating food so let him.

"Isn't it the same for those two over there?" Chenya is gesturing to Grim and I. He's right. What a big ass grin on his face, too. HE's so cool and casual about it all.

Trey has set a piece of delicious cake in front of me. He is best dorm mom. "Thanks!" Oh—it is delicious, chocolate-y, and sweet! The best!

Grim swallows. "Hey! It's you! The meow-guy from before!" That was a slow reaction time, Grim. "What dorm are you from anyway?"

I have a suspicion…

"Well, Chenya isn't a student from our school." Trey explains, "He's from Night Raven College's rival, Royal Sword Academy.

Deuce is the first to let out a noise of surprise, "He's not even from THIS school!?"

Ace, of course sharing the other half of the brain cell, picks up right after. "And from Royal Sword Academy, too?!"

"Sounds cool." I comment. "Glad to know there are a lot of magic schools." But how does he get here? How far away is it? Aren't we on an island somewhere? I've got a lot of questions I should look ahead in our history book for or go to the library to answer. There's a lot to know about Twisted Wonderland.

And that's when I hear students making a fuss. I realize in this moment that the two schools are rivals in the sense that any school of Texas is rivaled against another school in Texas. It's how it works. Well, that means I need to not visit this other school, because let's face it, I may die being someone without magic. Oh boy.

"Well, I already had some tart so I'll go! Bye bye!" Our not-guest says with a laughing song on his way out.

Some students get up to run after him… no. A LOT of students get up to chase after him. Uh.

"...Everyone just… left…" Grim, that means more food for you.

"Night Raven College students treat Royal Sword Academy students like their worst enemies." Riddle explains. I called it.

"The rivalry is a century old." Trey adds in—oh boy okay I'm not sure… if we have it like that. I mean some states hate each other like that.

Kinda like Alaska's burning hatred for Texas but we don't give a flying fuck about them.

"Well, well, forget about all of that! It's a happy day! We should just enjoy our wonderful Unbirthday Party!" Cater grins, and I agree.

Though I'm one slice of cake in and I am settled for the fact I will probably die today from sugar.

"I'll eat as much as I can at our Unbirthday Party! Cheers!" Grim's about jumping for joy and already with a sizable stack of plates beside him. I hope he doesn't get digestion issues because I only have a couple bathrooms cleaned up so far.

A slice of strawberry cake is slid in front of me. "Let's eat!" I laugh.

It's a wonderful time. I'm really starting to enjoy my time at Night Raven College. In all honesty, I didn't think I'd fit in, but it really looks like Grim and I have started to make some friends. It's great, really. I am happy that things are coming together. Sure, it's only been, what, a week or so? But…

I'm looking forward to the future, even if my apprehension isn't gone.

This cake helps a lot. It's amazing.

Why did I just get a shiver down my spine?