The remainder of the day's classes went by swiftly. Celeste excelled in Music and astronomy, impressing even the teachers. Being an angel she of course knew every star in the sky by heart.
Then it came time to meet Ace and Deuce after class. Not far from the botanical gardens, they found a grove of trees, the ground around them was littered with strange spiky green balls.
"Whoa! There really are a ton of chestnuts just layin' around. I'm gonna be livin' large on chestnut tarts!" Grim declared excitedly walking up to the spiky balls.
"Are these... Truly edible?" Celeste eyed the chestnuts on the ground skeptically.
"Sure they are. You gotta take off the spiky part first." Ace said as Grim grasped one of the chestnuts and let out a yowl.
"The spines pricked my paws!" He whined rubbing his paws together to soothe the pain.
"I don't think we can do this with our bare hands. We need something to put them in, too." Deuce frowned slightly as Celeste checked Grim's paws for injury.
"Maybe we can find some supplies in the botanical garden?" Ace looked back at the gigantic greenhouse nearby.
"Let's take a look." Deuce nodded in agreement and they followed him inside the glass building.
"Whoa, I didn't know this place was so huge." Ace looked around at the vast variety of plants and flowers. Some of the plants were familiar to Celeste while others were completely foreign.
"Mother would have loved it here." Celeste murmured, feeling a sense of nostalgia as she spotted some white lilies - her mother's favorite.
"Whaddya mean would have?" Grim turned his gaze up at her curious having caught her use of past tense.
"Mother passed away quite some time ago." Celeste said softly, causing Ace and Deuce to give her sympathetic looks.
"Celeste... I'm sorry. It must be painful for you to remember. I can't even imagine..." Deuce trailed off with a pained look.
"Don't be sorry. It was a long time ago." Celeste reassured him. It had been 50 years since her mother's passing, and while it wasn't very long for an angel, 50 years for a human was half a lifetime.
"... A place this big has got to have a groundskeeper. Let's split up and look." Deuce said after pausing to look around.
"Sure. I got dibs on the right side." Ace stuck his thumb out to the right after giving her a worried glance.
"Then I'll go left. Celeste, you and Grim go straight ahead." Deuce said as they split up heading off down their chosen paths.
Grim wasted no time darting ahead of her. "Hey check out all the ripe fruit!" He waved his paws at some oddly colored fruits hanging from some trees.
"Don't eat things if you don't know what they are." She warned him, though she wondered if anything could actually hurt him after the strange rock he ate the night before.
Just then, she felt something move under her foot, along with hearing a grunt of pain. She jumped back startled as a young man jumped to his feet, pulling back his tufted tail from where she'd stepped on it.
He had long brown hair and tan skin. He was a beastman, with lion ears and a tail. A large scar over his left eye gave him an edgy appearance. His emerald eyes glared at her as she stepped back.
"You've got some nerve steppin' on my tail!" He growled as he dusted himself off.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry! Are you alright?! I can get you a bandage if you need it?" Celeste eyed his tail with concern.
The man's ears twitched as he narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't need a bandage. Just nothing worse than being in the middle of a good nap and then someone stomps on your tail." He huffed before giving her a curious look.
"You're the girl from orientation that had her magic sealed." He stepped closer and sniffed her. "What a strange scent... Never smelled one like it before..."
"Hey, are you the groundskeeper? I don't think you should go around sniffing students pal." Grim spoke up puffing out his chest as he glared at the beastman.
The man gave him an annoyed look and opened his mouth for a retort but was interrupted by a voice from behind her.
"Leona! There you are!" Another beastman was walking towards them. He was a hyena beastman with fluffy blonde hair and grey eyes. He gave her a curious glance but focused on Leona who swished his tail in annoyance.
"I knew I'd find you here! We got after-school classes today remember?" He reminded Leona as he walked over.
Leona groaned and rolled his eyes. "... Now I've got this guy on my tail..." He grumbled pushing some of his braided hair aside.
The other boy ignored Leona's sour mood. "Leona, you've already had to repeat one year. If you get held back again we'll be in the same grade!"
"Oh put a sock in it already. I'm tired of all yer yappin' Ruggie." Leona snapped at him.
Ruggie flattened his ears in irritation. "Look, you think I like always being on your case? C'mon man, you act like it's so hard for you. You could skate through life if you just try. C'mon, let's go already!" Ruggie gestured for him to follow and Leona glanced back at her.
"See you later herbivores." He gave a dismissive flick of his tail as he left with Ruggie.
"What was his deal?!" Grim huffed when he'd left.
"I don't know but they were wearing Savanaclaw colors." Celeste said remembering Trey describing the uniforms earlier.
"Yo, guys we found the baskets and tongs." Ace called out to them, appearing up ahead on the path with Deuce.
On the way back to the chestnut grove she and Grim told them about their encounter with Leona.
"Celeste I can't believe you stepped on a Savanaclaw student's tail and didn't end up in a fight." Ace said in complete disbelief.
"Well, he certainly wasn't happy about it." Celeste let out a slightly nervous laugh as she tossed some chestnuts into her basket.
"Alright, that should be enough. Let's get these baskets over to Trey!" Ace said sometime later after they filled all their baskets. They proceeded to the school kitchen where Trey was waiting for them.
"Welcome back. Looks like you got plenty!" Trey noted as they set the baskets on the counter.
"I can't believe we still have to peel all of these..." Deuce groaned as he looked at the considerable amount of chestnuts they'd gathered.
"Good preparation is the key to good baking." Trey gave him a teasing smile. "Celeste, you and Ace will have to peel by hand but Deuce and I can use magic so that'll come in handy."
They started to peel the chestnuts, Trey doing so with skill as he waved his magic pen while Deuce struggled. Deuce let out another curse as he accidentally smashed another chestnut.
"You are trying too hard again. Ease up, remember what I told you this morning." Celeste told him, trying to hide the fact that she was struggling to peel the chestnuts herself. It was definitely not something she was used to. She noticed Trey smile as he peered over his glasses at her.
"You seem to really know your stuff, Celeste. I'm guessing they teach magic where you're from?" He asked her with an inquisitive look.
"Yes, everyone uses it where I'm from. So we are taught to control it at a young age." Celeste explained and Ace stopped and turned to her with a frown.
"Wait so EVERYONE can use magic where you're from? Like there are no magic-less people?" He gave her an incredulous look.
"Yes that is why we don't use technology much- we use magic instead." She explained, gasping when she pricked her finger on some of the spines.
"Sounds kinda like Briar Valley- oh do you need a bandage?" Trey stopped when he saw her looking at the bead of blood on her finger.
"Oh no. Such a small wound would have healed already." She said calmly cleaning off the single drop of blood on her finger with a towel.
"Um, what? That's not how it works Celeste. There's no way-" Ace stopped when he saw the wound was completely gone.
"How'd you do that without magic?!" Deuce blinked also looking at her finger. She'd forgotten that humans healed much slower than angels.
"I-I'm just a fast healer." She stammered nervously as she got back to peeling the chestnuts while the boys gave her skeptical looks.
After they peeled and strained all the chestnuts they pureed them into a fine paste. Ace let out a sigh of relief when they finally finished pureeing while Deuce rubbed his sore arm.
"Nice work. I just need to add butter and sugar to the chestnut paste and a sensible splash of oyster sauce - that's my secret ingredient!" Trey pulled out a variety of ingredients from the fridge and cabinets.
"Oyster sauce?!" They all exclaimed at once, exchanging shocked looks.
Trey grinned at them. "Yep. The umami gives the cream a deep savory flavor. All the best bakers use it in their tarts." He held up a bottle of oyster sauce as he explained to them.
"Really? But isn't it like super salty?" Ace raised an eyebrow at him.
"I've certainly never heard of such a thing." Celeste said with a frown. Perhaps humans had stranger tastes than she thought.
"Some folks put chocolate into curry so I guess it's like the same thing?" Ace glanced at her with a shrug.
Trey burst out laughing. "I'm totally lying! No one in their right mind would put oyster sauce in a pastry." He chuckled putting the bottle away.
Ace glared at him. "What? So you were yankin' our chain?" He put his hands on his hips as Trey continued to laugh.
"I mean if you'd used your brain you'd have realized how ridiculous it was! I guess Celeste has an excuse since she's not from here but you... Let that be a lesson to you. Don't believe everything you hear." Trey finally stopped laughing and reached for the cream and froze making an anxious face.
"Is something wrong Trey?" Celeste asked as he turned back to them.
"You guys gathered so many chestnuts that we may have overdone it with the chestnut paste. I don't think we have enough cream to mix in." Trey shook his head.
"Then I'll go buy some. Do they sell it at the school store?" Deuce asked stepping forward.
Trey nodded. "They sell pretty much everything so... Probably. Can I have you pick me up a few other things? I need two cartons of milk, two packs of eggs, some muffin cups, five cans of fruit..." He started listing off a rather long list and Deuce glanced over at her.
"I don't think I'll be able to carry all that back. Celeste, could you come with me?" He eyed her hopefully.
"Of course Deuce." She responded with a smile and Deuce smiled back at her. Grim padded up to her and tugged her pants leg.
"Then I'm comin' too! I'm getting dizzy from all this stirrin'. I need a break."
"Alright Grim, you can tag along as long as you behave." She said and Grim glared at her.
"Quit talkin' to me like I'm some sort of kid! I'm a great mage!" He huffed lashing his tail.
"Then start acting like one." She responded crossing her arms. Trey and Ace chuckled at her response.
After Trey handed them a list Celeste, Deuce, and Grim made their way to the school store. They approached what looked like a small cottage and stepped inside. The store was stocked full of an assortment of bizarre items- from strange masks to glowing potions.
"Hello, can I get some hel- whoa this place is wild. They have crystal skulls, grimoires, taxidermy..." Deuce looked around at the odd selection with an awed expression.
"Yes, it seems like Trey wasn't joking when he said they sell everything." Celeste said looking curiously at a taxidermy weasel.
"Do they really sell cream here?" Grim asked looking skeptical as he pawed at a silver bell hanging on a shelf.
"Greetings, my stray imps, how fare you today? Welcome to Mr. Sam's mystery shop. What among my humble selection interests you? A charm from a secluded land? The mummified remains of an ancient king? A cursed tarot card?" A young man appeared before them wearing a broad grin. He had dark skin and short black and purple dreadlocks flipped over the right side of his head. He was wearing a patchwork top hat and a maroon blazer with a purple vest.
"Do you sell groceries by chance?" Celeste asked and Sam's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Yes, we sell everything here!" He said with a wave of his hand, gesturing to all the shelves.
"We wanted to buy all the items on this list." Deuce handed him the shopping list Trey had given them.
Sam took the list and raised an eyebrow. "This is quite a sacchariferous list! I'll get everything for you." He ducked behind the counter and began gathering the items in bags.
After he finished he handed Celeste and Deuce several bags each. "Here you go. It's pretty heavy... Are you sure you can-" Sam stopped mid-sentence his red eyes falling on her wrists.
"That design... Where did you get that?" His eyes glittered as he took in the seven-winged eye design on Celeste's shackles.
"Oh um they are from my homeland. It's a rather common design there..." She trailed off nervously seeing how interested he was.
His eyes snapped up to hers with a slightly awed look. "Your homeland you say? You're an awful long way from home Cher." A shiver went down her spine as he drew back again but didn't take his eyes off her.
"Hey, there's no tuna in here!" Grim complained peeking into her bag.
"Because we aren't here to get tuna, Grim. Come on let's go!" Deuce seemed to pick up on her unease and quickly ushered him out the door.
"Until next time, my little imps! Do come again! Ciao!" Sam called out to them as they left.
When they returned to the main street Deuce turned to look at her. "What was that about? He seemed to recognize the symbol on your bracelets."
"He must have been mistaken. How could he have recognized them if I'm from another dimension?" She tried to sound dismissive but there was still a slightly nervous ring to her voice. Sam had looked so young she certainly hadn't expected him to recognize such an ancient symbol.
Deuce looked at her hands and frowned. "Celeste it looks like you got the bags with all the heavy cans, let me take some." He reached over and grabbed a few of her bags.
"There's no need! I could manage on my own!" Celeste protested but he ignored her taking them anyway. She certainly hadn't been struggling, the weight of the bag was nothing compared to what she could actually lift.
"It ok I've got a trick for carrying heavy bags. My mom used to stock up at sales and the bags would get ridiculously heavy. Being the only man of the house I did all the heavy lifting - oh sorry! I didn't mean to bring up..." He trailed off looking guilty.
"It's alright! It was good of you to help your mother. And I do not wish to forget mine. I looked up to her so much, I wanted to be just like her even though I was destined for a higher rank." She smiled remembering her mother training with the other Archangels on the training grounds. She had often slipped past Zaphiel, her and Uriel's attendant, to watch her mother train.
Deuce seemed to grow quiet a slightly guilty expression on his face. "Truth is I -" He was abruptly cut off as a couple of students jostled roughly past him, causing him to drop the bag with the eggs.
One of the boys spun around to glare at him. "Why don't you watch where you're going- hey! It's the chick from lunch!" It was the two boys who had tried to start a fight earlier.
The other boy grinned at her. "What's a pretty thing like you toting groceries with this loser?"
She gritted her teeth and was about to make a comeback when Deuce stepped forward. "Leave her alone. You tried picking a fight with us at lunch over an egg you were totally able to eat. Celeste was nice to you then even though you didn't deserve it and now you've destroyed six of ours. Now please reimburse us for the eggs and apologize to the chickens."
"Ooh look who's acting all tough? Trying to impress her huh? Still making a big deal out of a couple of stupid eggs." The second boy sneered at him.
"Yeah, you should thank us for saving ya the trouble of crackin' 'em!" The first boy burst out laughing and the second joined in.
Deuce finally snapped. "THAT AIN'T FUNNY! You don't get to call my eggs stupid. Those eggs may not have gotten to be chicks, but they were gonna make some amazing tarts! Do you get it?! DO YOU?!" Deuce shouted moving forward and intimidating the two boys who started backing up.
"What's with this guy all of the sudden?!" One of them said nervously.
"You owe me six eggs and if you're not gonna pay me for em then you're getting a bruise for each one!" Deuce spat squaring his shoulders.
The two boys looked at each other fearfully. "This guy's outta his mind! L-lets get out of here!"
The boys took off as Deuce continued to shout after them. Celeste stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"It's alright Deuce. They have retreated." She said gently as he took several deep breaths to calm himself.
He grimaced and made a guilty face. "I did it again didn't I...? Argh! I was dead set on becoming an honor student this time too!"
"What? I don't understand?" Celeste gave him a confused look.
Deuce let out a heavy sigh. "When I was in high school, I was pretty wild. I cut school all the time and got in fights... I was a total punk. But one night, I saw my mom talking on the phone with my grandmother. She was in tears. She was saying that she must've been a horrible mom, and she should have never tried to raise me by herself. That had nothing to do with it! She hadn't done anything wrong it was all me. When the carriage came to take me to Night Raven College she was so happy for me. I decided then and there that I wouldn't do anything to make her cry. I would become an honor student- someone she could be proud of. And I already messed it all up!" He shook his head and looked away.
"But Deuce you haven't messed up anything. Those boys are bullies and there is absolutely no shame in standing up for yourself and your friends. You have already seen the error of your ways and I'm sure your mother is proud of you already." Celeste reassured him with a warm smile.
His blue eyes went wide and a faint blush went across his cheeks. "Celeste... Thank you. I just hope those chicks can rest in peace."
Celeste frowned. "Um, Deuce... About that... You do realize that those eggs could have never hatched right? I mean they were not fertile."
"Wh- WHAAAAT?! Are you kidding me?!" He cried out looking mortified.
They returned to the kitchen, Deuce seemed rather put out about the whole egg ordeal. However, with the ingredients they had just bought, they quickly finished putting together the tarts.
"Makin' those tarts sure takes a lot outta you." Ace sighed once they finished. The sweet aroma that drifted through the kitchen was mouth-watering. She was starting to actually get hungry.
"Hey, fam! You look wrecked. Are the tarts done? Ooh, those look Soo cute! Lemme snap a quick pic for Magicam!" Cater strolled into the kitchen with his usual carefree attitude and took a picture with his phone.
"What, NOW you decide to show up?" Ace complained and glared at Cater.
"Hello Cater, how was your evening?" Celeste greeted Cater politely, ignoring Ace's snarky comment.
"It was good! Just as polite and beautiful as ever Celeste. These newbs could learn a thing or two from you." Cater said winking at her.
Ace rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You just met her this morning." He grumbled.
"He's got a point, Ace. A change of attitude might help you lose that collar. But you guys worked hard on this tart so why don't you go ahead and have a slice?" Trey cut into one of the tarts they had just made.
Everyone cheered and rushed to claim their slice, Celeste being the last to grab hers. Grim wasted no time in gobbling down his slice.
"This is like something from a fancy bakery." Deuce looked impressed after taking a few bites.
"I've never had anything quite like this before." Celeste admitted as she took a few tentative bites.
"Is that... A good thing?" Trey asked looking slightly apprehensive.
"Yes! It is delicious!" Celeste smiled and Trey let out the breath he was holding.
"Oh, Trey! You gotta do the thing." Cater looked at Trey expectantly.
"The thing? Oh... That. What's everyone's favorite food?" Trey asked looking over at everyone.
Ace looked surprised but answered anyway. "Me? Probably cherry pie. Or hamburgers."
"Canned tuna's at the top of my list. Then maybe cheese omelets, roast meat, pudding-" Grim excitedly started listing off a variety of foods but Celeste cut him off.
"Grim! Honestly, that's a list." She shook her head with a sigh.
"If I had to pick, I guess I'd say... Omelet rice?" Deuce looked at Trey curiously.
"I like a nice lamb chop with diablo sauce." Cater said smiling.
"I'd say it's a tie between roasted golden hind and angel cream cake." Celeste replied after pondering for a moment.
Trey grinned and snapped his fingers. "Alright, you got it... Let's paint the roses!"
"What does that mean?" Deuce asked looking confused.
"Take another bite of your tart and see." Trey nodded to the tart and they all took a bite.
"Huh? How- it tastes just like cherry pie!" Ace gasped in amazement.
"It tastes like tuna! - Now it tastes like a cheese omelet! And grilled meat! And pudding!" Grim mumbled in between mouthfuls.
"I don't believe it! It tastes just like golden hind! And angel cream cake! I never thought I'd get to taste these again!" Celeste gasped at the familiar flavors that reminded her of home.
"It's very impressive. Is changing flavors your signature spell, Trey?" Deuce asked.
"Technically, it's overwriting characteristics. I can change taste, color, smell, whatever. It only lasts a little while. But is kinda like covering up the real thing, hence painting." Trey explained.
"It seems rather useful. You must find all kinds of uses for it." Celeste commented as she finished her tart.
"Yeah, it's way better than Riddle's stupid collar magic!" Grim huffed his tail lashing at the thought of Riddle's signature spell.
Trey grimaced and shook 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 give him these tomorrow. Don't forget that tomorrow's the unbirthday party. You don't want to be late."
"Celeste, can I crash with you again tonight?" Ace glanced at her sheepishly.
"It isn't right to keep mooching off Celeste, Ace." Deuce growled glaring daggers at Ace.
"It's alright really. I cleaned up a spare room last night anyway." Celeste said ignoring Grim's protests.
"Why don't you go to Deuce, so you can keep an eye on him? As vice Housewarden, I can issue you a sleepover pass." Trey suggested and Cater did a double take.
"What fun for you getting to have a sleepover with the only girl in school. Ooh, maybe I'll come too! What do you say, Celeste?" Cater smiled at her suggestively and she gave him a cold look.
"I was not aware you were in need of housing Cater, perhaps you should take that matter up with your Housewarden. As for Deuce and Ace, they will be in different rooms from me." Celeste said with a more stern tone to set the record straight.
Cater drew back looking surprised. "Wow Celeste, you sure are cold when you want to be."
"No pass for you." Trey chuckled at seeing Cater getting shot down. "Sorry to dump them on you, Celeste. At least it's just for tonight." Trey gave her an apologetic look.
"It's not a problem, Trey. Thank you for helping them with the tart. It was very kind of you." Celeste smiled reverting to her usual demeanor.
"I'm just looking out for my underclassmen." Trey rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. They bid Trey and Cater farewell and returned to Ramshackle.
Sam finished closing up his shop for the night, locking the door behind him he made his way to the headmaster's office.
He met Crowley right as he was about to leave. "Ah, Sam! This is quite a surprise. You don't often stop by here." Crowley was rather shocked to see Sam outside his door.
"There's something I think ya ought to know about. It's about the new girl." Sam said with an impatient tone.
Crowley let out a heavy sigh. "What has she done now? Curse my generous nature." He shook his head as Sam stepped inside his office.
"She hasn't done anything. It's about where she's from, what she is." Sam said with a serious tone and Crowley frowned.
"Where she's from? She said she's from someplace called Eden but it's not on any map. I'm trying to find a way to send her back, but it's proving to be a bit tricky..." Crowley looked away evasively.
"It wouldn't be on any map, you've been looking in the wrong place if you've been lookin' at all." Sam pulled out a book entitled the Age of Legend and opened it up to a certain section. On the page was the seven-winged eye symbol from Celeste's shackles.
"That does like familiar..." Crowley squinted at the symbol on the page.
"It's the symbol on her shackles. It's the Celestial seal used by all Angels. Celeste is a fallen angel from the Celestial Realm." Sam said and Crowley let out a snort.
"That's preposterous! Angels haven't been seen in Twisted Wonderland for centuries. They've been presumed extinct, most regions consider them myths now." Crowley looked at Sam incredulously.
Sam shook his head. "I know from my friends on the other side that the Angels cut off most of their ties with the mortal realm. They never went extinct. Crowley, do you know what this means? If she were to corrupt here the entire campus would be in danger. She's already fallen, who knows how long she'll stay pure?"
Crowley looked down at the book in front of him with a frown. "Well her threat seems nullified for now since she is unable to use magic but... I'll do some more research."
Sam narrowed his eyes at him. "You do that. Remember it's our responsibility to protect the students." With that, Sam took his leave leaving Crowley alone in his office.
"Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into..." He sighed as he turned the page.
Celeste quietly finished dusting the living room of Ramshackle. She had never gone to sleep the night before after their card game. The room now looked much more presentable though perhaps she wasn't the best at cleaning, there were tears and stains in the upholstery that she had no idea how to get out. The cleaning had always been done for her at home. She was now realizing that even after fighting in the army she had been very privileged.
"Celeste wake-" Deuce rounded the corner and stopped. "Have you been cleaning all night?!"
"Hmmm, yes but I'm afraid I'm not very good..." She frowned looking at the drab room disapprovingly. Frankly, no amount of cleaning could bring it to Celestial Realm standards but it would have to do.
"You must be exhausted! The unbirthday party is today remember? What are you going to do?" Deuce seemed panicked that she had gone another night without sleep.
"I assure you that I'm quite fine. I can go quite a long time without sleep." She assured him though he seemed unconvinced. There was a knock at the door before he could protest any further.
She went to the door and found Cater outside. "Good moooorning! Did you all enjoy your sleepover? Did you bond over pillow fights and card games?" He said walking inside. "Oh! Looks like you've cleaned the place up a bit!"
Ace and Grim came walking out of her room yawning. "Good morning Cater. We did play some cards yeah." Ace yawned, stretching his arms.
"Well, you should get one of those tarts you made yesterday and apologize to Riddle. And you should probably hurry because of the trouble yesterday we're a little short-handed." There was a hint of exhaustion in Cater's tone.
"There was trouble? Is everyone alright?" Celeste frowned in concern about what he had said.
"Everything's fine! Don't worry Celeste, I've totes got it under control! Anyway off we go!" Cater said hurriedly as he ushered them out the door.
When they arrived at Heartslabyul a short while later, they were shocked to be greeted by another Cater.
"Hey, it's about time I got back! Good to see me!" The other Cater jogged over to them and they all gasped in surprise.
"Looking good as always me!" Cater cheerfully greeted his double.
"Th- there's two Cater's?!" Deuce said baffled.
"Are you guys twins?" Ace said looking back and forth between the two of them.
"Nope! It's my signature spell, split Card. It lets me make magic duplicates of myself." Cater explained as he gestured to several other Cater's running about.
"That's amazing! That must require a lot of magical energy to do that!" Celeste said impressed.
Cater grinned and three more Cater's came running up to greet them. The first one that had greeted them spoke up. "JSYK I'm the real Cater. Making these duplicates is suuuper exhausting so I can't maintain them for long. We're several people short and we need help. Once this is over I promise to take you straight to Riddle." He gestured to a bucket of red paint near some half-painted roses.
Ace groaned as he picked up a paintbrush. "I can't believe you're making us do this again. I'm so sick of doing this the hard way." He grumbled dipping his brush in the red paint.
However this time with the help of Cater's doubles, Deuce and Grim didn't have a difficult time turning the roses red with magic. It seemed her advice had helped them a great deal and they quickly finished turning all the roses red.
"Looking good!" Cater gave them a satisfied nod and checked his phone. "Ooh, it's almost time. Okay, all you sexy body doubles that's a wrap!" Cater called out and his clones vanished.
Cater then led them to the center of the rose maze where many tables were set up. On top of the tables were all kinds of teapots and mismatched cups. Heartslabyul students were scurrying around making sure everything was in order.
A boy with white hair and red eyes framed with circular gold glasses stepped out into the center of the clearing. He had a pair of white rabbit ears and held a trumpet which he blew into getting everyone's attention.
"All hail our leader, the red sovereign himself... Housewarden Riddle!" The boy stepped aside as Riddle took his seat.
"We salute you, Housewarden Riddle!" The Heartslabyul students called out. Riddle examined the tables with a satisfied nod and then started talking with Trey who was sitting next to him.
"Those are some fancy duds!" Grim said eyeing the uniforms that the Heartslabyul students were wearing. They were different from the regular school uniforms, red, black, and white suits with a rose corsage that was half painted red.
"These are the Heartslabyul dorm clothes. Aren't they fierce?" Cater smiled and waved his magic pen and changed into the dorm uniform. "One of the Queen's rules mandates formal dress on party days. As a show of kindness from a beloved mentor, I'll help coordinate your outfits." He waved his pen again and changed all of their outfits to match the dorm's uniform.
Celeste's outfit was a black, red, and white dress with a pattern similar to the boy's suits. She also had a red and white rose corsage and a headband with a mini top hat. Even her shoes and stockings matched her dress.
She gasped in surprise as she looked over her dress. Even Grim's bow had changed to match the dorm. Ace and Deuce took in their new attire with excited grins.
"Wow, you all look fantastic!" She smiled at them as they turned to her.
"Wow Celeste, that looks good on you. You should dress like that more often." Ace gave her a sly grin while Deuce blushed.
"She looks tots adorbs in that outfit! Come here Celeste I have to get a selfie with you!" Cater slipped over next to her and snapped a quick picture with his phone. "Now let's tear this party up! And don't forget to give Riddle the tart!" Cater said as they took their seats and Riddle began speaking.
"On this most significantly unauspicious of days, I bid all in attendance... A very merry unbirthday!" Riddle raised his teacup in a toast and everyone followed suit.
"To a very merry unbirthday!" Everyone cried out raising their cups.
After the toast Ace cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, Housewarden, sir..."
Riddle set his steely cold gaze on Ace. "Ah, it's you. The tart thief." He said while sipping his tea.
Ace rubbed the back of his neck nervously as everyone's eyes fell on him and continued. "Yeah, so, I wanted to apologize for eating that tart. We made you a new tart to replace it."
Riddle raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm? And what kind of tart is it?"
Ace smiled proudly. "I'm so glad you asked! It's a chestnut tart, and I swear, we weren't stingy with the chestnuts!"
Riddle's eyes went wide in horror. "A CHESTNUT tart?!" He shouted and everyone seemed taken aback by his reaction.
Riddle stood up and crossed his arms as he glared at Ace. "The Queen of Hearts rule 562: One must never bring a chestnut tart to an unbirthday party. This is an utterly flagrant rule violation! Do you understand what you've done?! You've ruined an otherwise perfect unbirthday!"
Celeste stood up from her seat next to Ace. "Now see here! He meant no harm! He was trying to apologize!" She frowned as she looked Riddle straight in the eye.
Riddle glared at her. "It doesn't matter what he meant to do, he still ruined a perfectly good unbirthday party! At Heartslabyul we take rule-breaking seriously." He cast a judgmental glance down at her wrists as he said so and Celeste grimaced.
Trey and Cater were whispering back and forth with tense expressions, it seemed that they were both unaware of this rule as well.
"As Housewarden of a dorm established to honor the Queen of Hearts rigor, I cannot ignore this. Destroy the offending tart immediately! Then throw these rulebreakers out of the dorm!" Riddle ordered.
Ace jumped to his feet outraged. "Whoa! Hold on!"
"If you want the tart gone let me eat it!" Grim cried out reaching for the tart before it could be whisked away.
Trey stood up frowning. "Housewarden, allow me to apologize. I was the one who suggested making a chestnut tart." He confessed.
"I was a part of that too. We had no idea there was a rule about it!" Cater admitted standing up as well.
"The making of the tart is not the issue. The issue is bringing it HERE. Today. THAT is the transgression!" Riddle shouted not swayed.
"Your ruling on this matter is unfair and unjust! I think there is a much more diplomatic way to handle this." Celeste stood up and glared at Riddle, crossing her arms.
Riddle narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't matter if my ruling is unfair. The rules are the rules and that's that."
"Riddle please try to remember that these are new students who've only been here a few days!" Cater said nervously.
"Celeste is right this is ridiculous! Throwing away a tart to obey some insane rule is as foolish as it gets!" Ace spat adding fuel to the fire.
"I also agree with Celeste. Of course, I understand that rules need to be followed but... This is going much too far." Deuce stood up on her other side.
Riddle snorted unimpressed. "Are you attempting to debate me? Bold move, but I'll bite. By breaking even the smallest rule, you are throwing wide the gate to anarchy."
"Rules can create anarchy just as well as destroy it. While rules do keep things in order they can also control and oppress! That is why fair judgment is so crucial!" Celeste shot back and there was a stir among the students, even Riddle looked taken aback momentarily before shaking his head.
"Are you trying to say I have poor judgment? So far you only have a couple of rule-breakers on your side so what does that say about your judgment?" Riddle huffed crossing his arms.
Ace looked over at all the students nervously watching the exchange. "Everyone, I know you're scared of getting your magic sealed away but you know this is insane right?" He raised his voice so everyone could hear.
One boy with brown rabbit ears started to speak up but was silenced by the white rabbit who quickly placed a gloved hand over his mouth. "N-no, we uh..." He trailed off nervously.
The brown rabbit boy swatted his hand away. "Cut it out, Peter! I'm already collared so what's he gonna do?! Yeah, I think this is bogus! I've been collared three times since I got here and it's always over drinking the wrong tea or eating the wrong lunch! I'm sick of it!" He shouted glaring at Riddle. However, he was the only one to say anything. The rest of the students looked at each other nervously.
"So you've recruited another troublemaker. Hardly a triumph." Riddle snorted unimpressed. "In the year since I became Housewarden, not a single student from Heartslabyul House has dropped out or been held back a year. We are the only house that can boast such a feat. Furthermore, of everyone in this dorm, I have the best academic standing. Hence I am the most correct! If you would simply obey me without question we wouldn't need to contend so." He narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
"It's not off with their heads because I want to do that. I do it because rules must never be broken." He muttered somewhat softly before glaring up at them.
"If you will not obey me, then I will have all of your heads!" He yelled and Cater glanced at them nervously.
"Okay let's all say yes Housewarden Riddle!" Cater attempted to coax them.
"...I can't." Deuce shook his head.
"As if!" The brown-haired rabbit-eared boy crossed his arms.
Celeste turned her head disdainfully away. "I refuse to bow before someone who insists upon such petty rules." She huffed, resisting the urge to unfurl her wings to put him in his place. If only he truly knew who he was talking to... Fallen angel or not she was refusing to let go of her dignity. While she was fond of mortals this one was truly pushing her buttons. How dare he order her around in such a manner?
"I don't bow to self-important tyrants!" Ace spat at Riddle.
"What did you just call me?" Riddle fumed at Ace.
"He called you a tyrant for wantin' to destroy perfectly good food just cause you're throwin' a tantrum!" Grim piped up down by her feet.
"OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!" Riddle screamed, collaring Grim and Deuce who shouted in surprise. "Trey! Cater! Eject them from the premises!" Riddle yelled waving at them, including the boy with rabbit ears.
"Wha?! Me?!" The boy gasped in outrage.
"I tried to warn you." Peter sighed shaking his head.
"...Yes sir, Housewarden." Trey and Cater replied and reluctantly stepped towards them.
"Y-you're supposed to be our mentors!" Deuce protested as they advanced forward.
Cater gave them an apologetic look. "Sorry, but we can't disobey our Housewarden!"
"So that's how it's gonna be huh?! Well, bring it on!" Ace said bracing himself for a fight.
"Ace! Enough! This isn't a battle we are going to win. We should walk out with our heads held high. Don't let them get to you." Celeste warned him and he stopped.
He scuffed the grass with his foot and muttered something under his breath before allowing Trey and Cater to lead them away.
They were led out to the edge of the rose maze, where Trey gave them an apologetic look. "We'll try to calm Riddle down, so maybe he'll let you back in the dorm after you apologize."
"I will NEVER apologize! Not to that numbskull!" Ace shouted after Trey and Cater as they went back into the maze.
"If anybody's gonna apologize it should be RIDDLE! He's got the whole dorm too scared to breathe! Peter said he was strict but this is ridiculous!" The boy with rabbit ears huffed angrily as he struggled to calm himself.
"I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name?" Celeste asked him after he took a few deep breaths.
His green eyes flickered over to her. "I'm Harold March, but you can call me Harry. I'm a freshman like you guys."
"That's right, you're in our class aren't you?" Deuce asked and Harry nodded.
"Well, Harry since you've been kicked out of the dorm- you can stay at Ramshackle with us. I've cleared out a couple of rooms." Celeste said and Grim glared at her.
"Celeste quit invitin' everyone to stay with us for free! I mean at least ask him for some tuna!" He huffed crossing his furry arms.
"I hope you're not allergic to dust." Ace smirked at Harry.
"Doesn't seem like I have much of a choice..." Harry snorted but then rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "...But thanks." He mumbled.
Ace let out another frustrated groan. "I hate that little ginger megalomaniac! Does he think HE'S the Queen of Hearts?!"
"Tell me about it. I've been collared for two days now. I don't think anybody in the dorm actually LIKES him." Harry scowled as he tugged at his collar.
"Banished by the Housewarden from my own dorm... My dream of becoming an honor student is slipping away..." Deuce sighed his shoulders slumping.
"Cheer up everyone! I know banishment is scary at first but at least you're not alone! It'll work out somehow!" Celeste tried to reassure them.
"What do you know about banishment huh?" Ace snapped at her and she flinched.
"... Your banishment is not permanent." Her tone was much colder this time and they all gave her questioning looks. But before anyone could ask what she meant, another voice called out to them.
"You're really racking up those collars. Quite the impressive collection."
They all turned to see where the voice had come from, only to see a floating head. They all let out startled cries.
"A GHOST HEAD!" Grim screamed his fur standing on end.
The boy whose head had appeared let out a chuckle as the rest of his body materialized. He had shaggy purple hair and a pair of cat ears along with a long swishing tail. "Oh, dear. It seems I'm not all here." His yellow eyes narrowed playfully at them.
"So you have a body then? Who are you?" Deuce asked watching the boy nervously.
"The names Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker. Am I a cat? Am I a purrrson? A mome raths with a knack for magic?" He waved his tail in a teasing manner.
"Uh... Run that name by me again?" Ace said after trying to say his name and failing.
He let out a laugh. "Most people call me Chenya."
"Chenya, I don't recall seeing you at the unbirthday party. Are you in Heartslabyul? You're not wearing a uniform..." Celeste noted his casual attire.
He let out a chuckle. "Nope! You're welcome to guess again though. You don't seem to belong to a dorm yourself. As a matter of fact, you don't seem to belong here at all. Never seen a girl at a boy's school before." He narrowed his eyes at her.
"I got in under special circumstances." Celeste said somewhat nervously.
Ace let out an impatient groan. "After the insanity that teapot tyrant put me through, I'm not in the mood for whatever this is. Just leave us alone."
Chenya put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Riddle the teapot tyrant..." He let out another laugh. "Well, I can't dismiss that as wrong. He's always been quite strict."
"Do you know him or somethin'?" Harry raised an eyebrow at him.
Chenya crossed his arms behind his head in a leisurely stretch. "Perhaps there are things that I know, and perhaps there are things that I don't."
"Look do you know him or not?!" Harry snapped his ears flattening.
Chenya shook his finger at him. "Temper temper. That's why you're stuck in that collar you know? Is there something you wish to know about Riddle?"
"Yeah, what created such a control freak?" Ace huffed crossing his arms.
"I believe his four-eyed friend may have the answer." Chenya grinned at him.
"You mean Trey?" Deuce said surprised and Chenya nodded.
"He's known Riddle since we were all little boys. If you want to know more about Riddle I would start there." Chenya suggested with a small shrug.
"They're childhood friends? I didn't really get that impression." Deuce said with a frown.
"If you're so perceptive, then what are you asking me for? Buh bye!" With another chuckle Chenya started to fade away, his body slowly vanishing until he was completely gone.
Deuce let out a sigh. "Well, we're not going to get much schoolwork done with these collars on. So let's go see what Trey has to say and then..."
Ace cut him off with a frown. "If you're gonna say apologize to Riddle you can forget it!"
"Well seeing that apologizing has done nothing up until now... I say this is past the point for negotiations. Perhaps a little ambush?" Celeste smiled wickedly and the boys all grinned.
Later that evening they all gathered in Ramshackle after dinner. They had decided to play cards again, so they were all sitting around the coffee table playing old maid.
"Hey, Celeste it's your turn." Ace called out turning to look at her on the couch- only to see that she'd fallen asleep curled up on the end of the sofa.
"About time... She hasn't slept once since I've known her." Ace put down his cards and eyed her suspiciously.
"What? You mean she hasn't slept in three days?!" Harry whispered loudly trying to keep his voice down despite his surprise.
"She slept the first night when we got here." Grim glanced over at her still form.
"She certainly didn't act like she hadn't slept. She didn't even nod off in magic history class- unlike you Ace." Deuce narrowed his eyes at Ace who rolled his eyes.
"Look I'm tellin' ya something's up. Tonight was like the first time I've seen her eat a full meal." Ace glanced at Celeste to make sure she was really asleep. "... You know what I think? I don't think she's human." He lowered his voice even lower.
"What do you mean she's like a mermaid or fae?" Harry frowned not sure what he was so nervous about.
"My money's on vampire. I mean think about it! She's up all night, rarely eats, good looks, she's like weirdly fast sometimes -" Ace was cut off by Deuce scoffing.
"Don't be ridiculous Ace! Vampires don't exist! Besides Celeste wouldn't hurt anyone!" Deuce glared at Ace and got up and grabbed a blanket. He went over and gently draped it over Celeste as she slept.