Im Gonna Cry

I’m gonna cry

S/n: mother look I took this just for you!

MC: Thank you my dear, I love You

S/n: I Love You too mama. . . Jeje. . .

Malleus: I wonder if he is having a good dream...?

Sorry not sorry but this baby boi has to much angst to explore.

Explain: Malleus make a dream for his only son where his mother (MC) say how much she love him. After MC tell the truth about how he kidnap her.

This cute boi is from the fanfic of @tri3tri who has so much talent.

Now if you excuse I gonna cry in My corner.

“Try the greeting.”

Lol I made a thing. Based on Maleficent 2 scene

Idk if anyone still remembers this but I actually forgot I finished chapter 3 about a week ago and didn't even posted it 🙂 still kinda confusing I think? But I promise, It'll come together soon 😤💖

[ R a p t u r e d ]

Chapter Three

The walls encasing your freedom began to simmer your frustration, and when a spiral staircase immerged from the wooden floorboards right across the room, your hands reflexively balled into fists.

Though when an unfamiliar face greeted you, they uncurled and from where you sat on the chaise beside your only window, your figure hunched over to pull your knees closer to your body. You'd been reacting so defensively lately, it almost felt natural now.

"Did they send you up to finally get rid of me?" Your words were harsh, a deep grating rage lacing each enunciation you spat out and yet the girl seemed unfazed as her lips curled into a small smile.

"I don't think they're that merciful, but Prince Leona has stated multiple times he'd rather you be dead."

"Who are you then?"

"An ally" She answered then rather hastily added, "If you'd allow it."

You scoffed,bitter and dry you almost sounded gruff and nasally.

"Like I allowed to be imprisoned and kept like an animal?"

The girl's expression softened and she gave what seemed to be an understanding nod before she placed both hands behind her back and stood poised before you.

"Boe" She said, "My name is Boe. As in the kind you'd use to hunt with but with an 'E' at the end because my nan felt it was creative." She sounded pleasant, to be honest,she looked decent as well, like a very familiar face you'd seen somewhere and yet nowhere at the same time. She wore her hair in two loose twin braids,her simple beige coloured tunic and short khakis gave her overall soft, feminine looks a rather boyish touch. And when she smiled it was genuinely given.

Despite yourself, Boe's appearance had you feeling a little less hostile and perhaps even a bit more hopeful.

"I made them an offer" You told her and again she nodded her head.

"To kill your brother in exchange for your freedom. Why?"

"Isn't that what they wanted? That bastard killed their beast and the only reason I'm here is because he's traded me off for his glory."

Boe seemed surprised at how you caught onto the situation at hand but you could see how calculative her eyes were. She may have looked pleasant but you weren't foolish enough to trust her, and if she knew your captives then chances are she wasn't just some typical servant running errands. They sent her up to you to talk, which meant they trusted her. And they didn't look like the trusting type.

"He and I aren't related by blood" You told her, scornfully. "It doesn't take much to piece up my being here, and I'll tell you now that he's not coming to save me. Not when he has every village folk singing his glory and the King welcoming him in his halls."

You sounded so dejected, Boe practically felt the heat of rage circulating through the room, but she also sensed sorrow. A sort of grief from the way you hunched yourself over. You've been through a lot, she could see that much.

"Tell me, did you ever believe the story your land has? It's history with the Faefolk and magic?"

You knew little. Simply enough to have your mind wander, but every child was like that, and when it was time to face the world and grow up, the stories you used to cling to before sleeping became just that; Stories.

So, you told Boe you didn't. You told her you knew the land has always been lavish, that it had always been easy to farm and make produce because it's forests were endless and green. It was because it was placed right in the centre of a growing land, wasn't it? Magic felt too foreign to have been a part of it all.

But then she told you of the story of a man planting a seed given to him by a generous Fae, and that the seed grew into a tree and another and another, until it formed a forest so lush and rich with life, people came to the land as a place of salvation. She told you that the Fae was the Mother Goddess Gaia and that she had made a pact with the humans who stayed in her grounds. They were allowed to grow and live as they wanted as long as her generosity was remembered. Thus the human built shrine after shrine in her name, and the land never once withered. Until weeks after your brother slayed the beast.

You sat there facing her,baffled and refused to believe in such a tale so easily, told yourself that no such thing could be possible...

Yet, the tower that kept you had nothing but a single window and a door that only seemed to appear when called. You remember how you tried climbing down through the window and how your makeshift rope snapped and you thought you'd fall to your death but instead you stayed in the air. Frozen.

As your hardened gaze looked to Boe and the faint light of the sun peeked through the window and into the room, you noticed the slight point of her ears and how in that specific lighting her features looked ethereal,as if she was carved out from a completely different mold.

You've seen those features before. A long,long time ago. The brief memory tucked behind the grains of your mind.

You must've laughed because Boe's expression shifted into confusion, and you ran your hands through your hair as a slight colour flickered to life in your eyes.

"You must think I've gone crazy. Wanting to kill my own brother but I've never seen him as family, and I'm sure he feels the same. It's the only thing we have in common."

"You'd really kill him for your freedom?" Boe asked, almost quietly.

You lifted your gaze,heavy and dark but driven with determination.

"Wouldn't you? It sounds selfish and maybe it is but hasn't he done the same to me? Ever since mother died, I was left under his care which meant he'd been shackled to me against his will and now I'm here and he's drinking in the castle." Your voice shifted, breathless and worn. You wanted to stand, to show to her that you weren't as weak as your captives had force you to be. That you meant what you said.

"I don't care about being kind and understanding anymore. I want to be released. I want to take back what I've lost and if that means killing Cyril and appeasing your Princes, so be it."

***

"You could be their Champion" Boe said as she stared you up and down,her gaze flickering with something you couldn't quite put a finger on. But she smiled when her eyes landed on your face, and a slight shade of pink dusted your cheeks. Though you felt it was because she had been nothing but open in her discussion and all you ever did was scowl and kept your distance.

And perhaps,you couldn't really be blamed for any of it given your own situation, but maybe it wasn't too harmful to act a bit more cooperative...

"A champion?" You repeated the words with your brows furrowed and lips down-curled.

Boe nodded her head.

"Faes often keep champions in order to settle certain affairs,like a representative or a tribute on their part without having to physically attend said affairs themselves, and unlike most dealings, this one has the exceptional perk of not being entirely enslaved by the Fae you serve under"

"...You mean if I agreed to being their... Champion? I wouldn't owe them anything?"

You know the tales of giving your thanks to the Gentry, and how such unfortunate humans fell to the mercy of the cunning creatures. A slight shiver ran up the length of your arm, but you fought the urge to look disgruntled, and simply crossed your arms.

Boe's smile widened a fraction.

"Yes, and I can't tell you why such a thing is possible in the first place, not because I don't want to but because I also do not know the reason behind it. It's said that this pact Faes have created with humans is a rare thing and a ritual they hold with great respect. If you so desire to kill your brother and gain your freedom, being the Princes' Champion is perhaps the best and only way."

"But how can I trust them to hold onto their end of the bargain? I might not have full belief in all your fae nonsense, but I know that whatever you are, your kind are known to be cunning and slippery!"

You felt like jabbing an accusing finger to her chest then,but you bit back the venom on your tongue and swallowed your carousing temper from erupting. Anger did no good in discussions after all. You learned that from years living with your step brother.

Despite it all however,Boe didn't seem to mind your frustration or hostility. In fact, she remained informative and calm, you began understanding why she had been sent up in the first place.

Unlike the Princes themselves, Boe didn't have any intimidation oozing from her demeanor. She came as a neutral party, neither to nurse nor make you submit.

Perhaps her words were the most trustworthy you'd have here.

Perhaps being a Champion was your only way out.

Invidious

Tw: Manipulation

Malleus didn’t get jealous easily.

… Not anymore, at least.

However, it was only natural to feel that way when your fiancée liked someone else, right?

Malleus might not be very sensitive to people’s emotions, but he’d known enough – seen enough – to conclude that you favored Silver more than him.

Yes, his own ward. His trusted retainer and one of his loyal knight.

The human boy among his circle.

Your face always brightened whenever you spotted him in the same room or merely passing by, as if his presence alone was enough to cheer you up. A speck of blush would taint your cheeks whenever you got a chance to speak to him, and you’d wilt slightly whenever he ended the conversation to do his duties. You always gave your entire attention to him, while being rather half-hearted whenever you interacted with Malleus.

He knew that the only reason why you bothered to talk to him was because of the engagement; this political engagement your parents forced you to agree for the sake of strengthening the relation between his and your kingdom. If not, then you’d definitely scamper off to Silver and trail behind him all day like a lovesick puppy.

And it irked Malleus.

What did Silver have that he didn’t? He wasn’t a royalty, let alone a king. He was just a knight, a servant. Someone who he could easily dispose of had he was a cruel man. A human whose strength was inferior compared to his.

And yet, you looked at him like he was your whole world; like he was your future husband.

“Silver.”

Today was just another day where Malleus caught you chatting with Silver again, and another day where his mood instantly soured at the sight of your radiant face.

The said boy flinched slightly and swiveled, bowing. “Your Majesty.”

“Please leave us alone.”

Silver readily complied and left the living room, not even sparing a glance at your slightly outstretched hand. The butler immediately prepared another cup of warm tea for him as Malleus settled down beside you, face sullen.

“You seem to be friendly with him.” he remarked, lifting the cup and its saucer. He sipped the tea, lime green eyes peering at your somewhat flustered expression. “Do you like him, perhaps?”

Of course, he already knew the answer. But he just wanted to see whether you’d be honest with him, with your fiancé.

“I…” you stammered, fidgeting with your gloves. The apples of your cheeks grew warmer the longer you hesitated. “I, well… Of course, I like him. He’s a nice guard.”

He raised a skeptical brow. “Is that it?”

You nodded and pursed your lips, trying to repress the smile that threatened to bloom at the thought of the guard.

“I see…”

Malleus unconsciously gripped the handle of the cup, darkness shrouded his eyes. Of course, you’d try to downplay your crush towards Silver. It’d be no good if someone, especially him, realized that you harbored feelings for another man.

Although he already knew, anyway.

Which is why…

“I’ve decided to advance the wedding date.”

You whipped your head towards him, almost gaping at his abrupt declaration. “W-what do you mean?”

“You heard me.” He peered at you darkly, challenging you to oppose him. “I’ve decided to make the wedding occur this Sunday.”

Malleus stared at you as you moved your mouth, trying to form a word. He knew you didn’t agree with his decision, and he knew it was quite unceremonious.

But if he followed the schedule, then it’d just give you more time to develop those pesky feelings for his ward.

“B-but why…?” you finally stammered, still in disbelief.

Malleus slowly squinted. “Because you like Silver, don’t you? As in, romantically.”

Your breath hitched, and he knew he was right, as painful as it was to admit it. However, it also gave him the satisfaction knowing that he’d caught you red-handed.

“I…”

“It’s useless to lie to me.” Malleus dismissed your apology coldly. “I know everything, so don’t even think about trying again. Unless, of course, you want our families to learn about this…?”

You looked up to his frigid eyes fearfully. “You won’t…”

“Who knows?” he retorted smoothly. “All I know is that it won’t be my fault if people recognize you as a ‘cheater’. And you know how detrimental it’ll be to your family’s reputation.”

You began to tremble in the couch, already imagining the scenario. The look of disappointment from your parents, the disparaging glances from your people, and the revolting stare from his family.

“… Do you want that to happen, Lady [Name]?” Malleus drawled, ensuring that every word was embedded in your mind; the consequences that’d entail if you disobeyed him. When you slowly shook your head, he smiled and lifted your chin. “Then, do as I say, alright?”

“I…”

“I forgive you this time, but I won’t be so kind next time.” He gripped your jaw in his gloved hand, hating yet relishing the terrified look in your eyes. “Do you understand me, my love?”

Reasons why I love Azul Ashengrotto because I’m a dirty rag for him 😔😔😔

🤡 Stealing this from @cursedtwst because I need to give Azul some keysmash 🤡🐙

Okay genuinely, I really don’t know why I stan Azul, like legit, idk if it’s just me but I go through my daily life asking myself “Why the FUCK do I stan Azul like ????? This man has made me salty as shit for 1/3 of 2020 by not coming home AND by having a limited SSR RIGHT AFTER his dorm SSR that looks so so good and has duo with Jack, who was my tutorial pull”

But Azul just has to ✨✨💞💞breathe✨✨💞💞 and I go shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

And then proceed to not breathe for the next ten minutes

NO I’M KIDDING I KNOW HOW TO BREATHE I CAN STILL BREATHE

Narrator voice and she says this as she proceeds to stop breathing the moment she tried to capture the following images

PLEASE I AM WEAK FOR AZUL’S SMIRK

AZUL STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP

LIKE EVERY FUCKING TIME I SEE HIS CHIBI SMIRKING I MENTALLY RETURN TO MY ROOTS AS AN APE

NO PLEASE LEGIT, MY HEART JUST GOES AWAWAWAWAWA BECAUSE LIKE HE’S SO HOT WHEN HE SMIRKS AND ALSO I GET SOOSSOSOSOSO GIDDY WHEN HE SMIRKS DURING LESSONS BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE GETS PERFECT AND I JUST GO

“YES AZUL YOU ARE PERFECT YOU DESERVE THAT FUCKING PERFECT”

AND OKAY ONE DAY, I WAS JUST DOING TESTS AND LIKE LILIA IN CURRENT GRASS TEST IS JUST CLENCHES FIST

Then I think I was taking too long to decide on a move or I was doing something

THEN AT THE CORNER OF MY EYE

I SEE AZUL SMIRKING (as seen in the left pic) AND I JUST

WAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

YOU KNOW, I HAD TO USE UP AP WHICH I RESERVE FOR ALCHEMY JUST TO CAPTURE AZUL’S PERFECT EXPRESSION ON THE RIGHT (perfect as in the perfect in lessons or just Azul looking perfect in general? Ehhh why not both heehoo)

Okay, but do you know what’s hotter than chibi smirks?

PLEASE EJECT ME IN AMONG US I CONFESS TO BEING THE IMPOSTER

JUST LET ME FLOAT IN SPACE AS I CONTEMPLATE MY LIFE CHOICES THAT ARE ABOUT MY UNHEALTHY ADDICTION TO AZUL’S SMIRK

MY HEART LITERALLY GOES DOKI DOKI EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME I SEE AZUL SMIRK LIKE THIS

LET ME BE LEGIT HERE, I GET SO MUCH OF AZUL’S SMIRKS IN ALCHEMY AND THAT COMPRISES 75% OF THE REASONS WHY I DO ALCHEMY WITH HIM ALL THE DAMN TIME

LISTEN, HE’S ABSOLUTELY FUCKING GORGEOUS WHEN HE SMIRKS LIKE THAT LIKE

BANGS HEAD ON WALL

HHHHHHHHHHAHAHHDHSJJDKEJJDKKE

YOU KNOW MY DISCORD SERVER FRIENDS LIKE TO BULLY ME WITH THIS ONE AZUL SMIRK EMOTE WE HAVE AND EVENTUALLY I JUST GO “nope not gonna say anything abt that nope nope not gonna tell them it’s gonna do things to me because anyway he looks high in that one emote and it’s gonna lead me to bulli anyway so”

SOBS HARD

PLEASE IF AZUL LOOKS AT ME LIKE THAT, MY LEGS WILL ABANDON ME AND MY LAST BRAINCELL WILL SHUT DOWN AND I’LL JUST BE A MESS ON THE GROUND AND I WILL BE A LEGITIMATE DIRTY RAG

Ahfksjfksk fuck I can’t type do you know how many times I have to redo some words

You think the smirk saga isn’t done yet? Well : )

SAY HELLO TO MY ALL TIME FAVORITE CARD IN THIS FUCKING GAME

EXCUSE ME AZUL THAT LOOK IS NOT LEGAL

NOT LEGAL AT ALL

HARD SOBBING

THAT CARD HAS CAUSED ME SALT AND GRIEF FOR 1/3 OF 2020 OKAY

I HAD WANTED THAT CARD BACK WHEN I STILL DID NOT STAN AZUL BECAUSE HE DUOS WITH RIDDLE AND I THOUGHT HEY I GOT RIDDLE AND FLOYD SO EASILY MAYBE AZUL WILL COME HOME

Spongebob narrator voice 81 pulls later

WITH THAT GAZE ALONE AND THAT OP ASS POWER HIS CARD HAS, HE NEARLY BROUGHT MY WILL TO NOT SPEND DOWN, CRUSHED IT LIKE IT WAS NOTHING, AND IF IT WASN’T FOR QUARANTINE, I WOULD HAVE OPENED MY DAMN WALLET

Like everything about that card is just????? So perfect?????? Like, I love love LOVE THE COLORS IN THERE LIKE THOSE SHADES OF BLUE???? MMMMMMMMMMMM AND ALSO THE GOLDEN GLOW FROM THE CONTRACT THAT MAKES IT STAND OUT?? YES

AND THEN AZUL JUST LOOKS AT YOU LIKE THAT WITH THAT BEAUTIFUL SMIRK AND

HIS GROOVY IS ALSO REALLY GOOD, LIKE LOOK AT THAT POWER AND AUTHORITY HE HAS JUST WALKING INTO THE ROOM

But tbh I super love his initial so much that when I look through my friends who have Azul dorm as their support and see some of them using the groovy pic I internally go “whyyyyy”

BUT OKAY YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME I SEE WRITING BLOGS USE AZUL DORM INITIAL AS THEIR CHARA BANNER FOR AZUL, I FUCKING COMBUST

LIKE I AM JUST PEACEFULLY READING AND SCROLLING THEN I SEE AZUL DORM AND GO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああ

AND YO AZUL DORM IS LIKE?? SO GOOD??? EVER SINCE I GOT HIM, MY TEST SCORES FUCKING INCREASED

I DID NOT THINK SS WOULD BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE MY CARDS ARE JUST 🤡🤡🤡 BUT IN ALL ELEMENTS, I AM LESS THAN 200 POINTS AWAY FROM SS AND I’M LOWKEY SALTY ABOUT THAT BUT ALSO SO HAPPY ABOUT IT

AND MY WATER AND FIRE SCORE INCREASED TOO LIKE NOW I’M AT 10K FOR THEM WHEN MY HIGHEST WOULD BE LIKE 8K-9K AND JUST AAAAAAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH AZUL 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I want lv100 dorm Azul,,,,,,,, literally have a friend in game who has lv100 Azul and I went 👁👄👁

Sup hi I’m totally not sobbing over the fact I don’t have beans Azul

Okay but, if you were following me or knew me back in April-May, you probably would know that I was simping for Jade ish??

Like, when beans day came, I was SO relieved that Jade was the event SR and was like F for Azul stans

5 months later and I’m 🤡🤡🤡

BECAUSE OKAY

I WASN’T PLANNING ON PULLING IN BEANS DAY AT ALL SINCE I JUST WANTED JADE

BUT A FRIEND DID THREE SOLOS AND GOT AZUL SO I WAS LIKE “huh why don’t I try”

Big mistake

I got Jack but no Azul :((((((

And I told myself k stop it you don’t need beans Azul in your life

But my braincell really went “but his duo is Jack and you have Jack SSR and Riddle duos with Azul don’t you want don’t you don’t you :))))))))”

And I ten rolled hours before the event ended and ended up with nothing

Then when Kalim PU came I was salty that I didn’t throw my ten roll key at him and have a chance at getting a better card :)

But enough about my gacha salt, we’re simping here

Ahem so

OKAY THAT GROOVY ART LITERALLY MADE MY EYES GO 👁👄👁

THAT SMIRK IS SO HOT and I WILL SAY IT AGAIN

ALSO THE WAY HIS JACKET FLIES FROM THE FORCE OF HIS MOVEMENTS JUST 😳😳😳😳

Honestly, I’m so sad I don’t have his story :((( his expressions look sososooso good there and like, he gets dissed for having shit PE grades and I live for that AKJDJKAJF

Bringing this back because hOOOOOOOOOT DAAAAAAAAAAMN

I JUST NEED LESS THAN ONE SECOND TO LOOK AT THIS AND I’M ALREADY FLOATING IN SPACE FROM BEING EJECTED IN AMONG US

Sobs and floods NRC in tears

Okay and honestly, I just want to say I feel like the universe has been counting on me to fall for Azul from the start

AND THIS LITERALLY DATES BACK TO WHEN I WAS A CHILD OKAY

So when I was a kid, I was addicted to the word ‘azure’ LIKE I KEPT SAYING THAT WORD TO MYSELF WHEN I WAS ALONE BECAUSE I LOVE THE WAY IT LOOKS I LOVE THE WAY IT SOUNDS

AND THEN HERE COMES AZUL WHOSE NAME IN JAPANESE IS PRONOUNCED AS AZURU AND I JUST

God I love Azul’s name so much, like every time I type out his full name, I go 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

And then okay, if you have been here like at the very very start of this blog or have been stalking all my posts until you reached the end or knew me for a long ass time, I was a Riddle stan

But I was going through receipts in one Discord server while trying to find this old Azul art and those receipts dated back to when Twst was released on March 18 and my friend was screaming about Azul

AND I SAW MYSELF SCREAMING WITH HER AND I WAS LIKE “HOLY SHIT WAS I ALREADY ATTRACTED TO AZUL BACK THEN EVEN AS A RIDDLE STAN??????”

HAVE I BEEN BLIND THIS WHOLE TIME????

LITERALLY THE ONLY PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT SHOWED I WAS STILL A RIDDLE STAN THEN WAS ME GOING “ok if this is Azul already, what more of Riddle” BUT OTHERWISE, I WAS HOLDS HEAD THE ENTIRE TIME I SAW THOSE RECEIPTS

,,, holy fuck this is long I am so sorry,,,,,,

This isn’t even all my thoughts for Azul,,,,,,, aha haha ahahahhahahhahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahhahahhaahahhaha hah hah... fml

May I request a scenario with 1th year boys? I think that they don't know how to cook a lot of things? What would an afternoon of them be like, together with Yuu, trying to learn how to cook some dish or dessert?

Imagine this...

“Ace and Deuce will prepare the crust. Jack and Sebek will handle the filling. Epel, you’re making the fruit topping,” Yuu prattles off the division of tasks as they pass out copies of a simple tart recipe to the first years.

“Don’t wanna,” Ace immediately sasses you. “Looks too hard.”

“This is the easiest strawberry tart recipe I could find. It even has Trey-senpai’s seal of approval. He says it’s idiot-proof,” Yuu points out. “You’d have to be really special to screw this up.”

“We’ll be alright! I’m sure of it!” Deuce reassures them with a big smile. “After all, we’ve got our talented Ramshackle Prefect here to guide us every step of the way!”

“The only thing I’m going to do is preheat the oven,” Yuu reminds him sternly. “Everything else is up to you guys.”

Deuce’s face falls. “...Oh.”

“That’s quite enough chatting!” Sebek announces, hands planted on his hips. “We must make haste if we are to prepare this confection in time for your dorm leader’s celebration! TARDINESS WILL NOT DO!”

“Alright, alright, we get it--just stop shouting, it’s hurting my ears,” Jack sighs, leaning away from his loud friend.

“Ah...I’ll do my best!” Epel squeaks, holding his hands to his chest.

They break off into their assigned groups and set to work.

“Tch. This sucks,” Ace grumbles under his breath. He squints at the tart recipe and begrudgingly fishes out bags of flour, sugar, and salt from a cabinet. “Why do we gotta do all the heavy lifting?”

“Because cooking is a good life skill to have. Plus, we need a birthday present for Riddle-san,” Deuce reminds his rival. He produces a few sticks of butter from the refrigerator. “We should be thankful that the others are here to help us.”

“Whatever,” Ace says with the roll of his eyes. “Let’s just get this over with already.” He consults the recipe again and frowns when he spots fractions. “Uh, Deuce? You do know what a third of a cup is, right?”

“A...what?” Deuce blinks in confusion. “Don’t you mean three cups?”

“No, I mean a third of a cup, a third!”

“You mean three cups! I know my math, Ace!”

Ace wants to facepalm--but he has already washed his hands, so he manages to hold himself back from doing it. “...Never mind! You melt the butter--since the measurements are already marked on the packaging--and I’ll measure the other stuff for the crust!”

“Gotcha! Leave it to me!”

Deuce paces over to the microwave, butter in a bowl, and punches in some numbers. Meanwhile, Ace retrieves measuring cups and spoons, quickly leveling off the necessary amounts of dry ingredients, dumping them into a large bowl.

At the same counter, Sebek and Jack are whipping separate concoctions up--Sebek toils over heavy cream while Jack focuses on cream cheese with granulated sugar. The wolf boy frowns at his thick mixture and glances over at his friend.

“...Is it supposed to be this lumpy?” Jack asks, quirking an eyebrow. Cream cheese is caged inside of his whisk, making the utensil heavy with chunks of fat.

“No, no!” Sebek tuts, shaking his head vigorously. “Less arm, more wrist! It’s all in the wrist!”

“Er, like this?” Jack awkwardly angles his bowl and demonstrates the motion with a flick.

“You must put more OOMPH into it!” Sebek declares, pointing his whisk--almost accusingly. Already, stiff peaks of whipped cream are forming. “WHIP IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!”

“I do mean it,” Jack mutters, wincing slightly at the volume spike. “I guess I just need to practice more.”

Sebek’s laughter booms throughout the entire Heartslabyul kitchen. “Now that’s the spirit!”

From the stove, Epel expels a breath through his nose. He wishes he had been assigned to preparing the tart filling (he recalls having read somewhere that whipping ingredients can help build up one’s arm muscles), but instead, he is stewing strawberries, sugar, lemon pulp, and zest in a pot.

Epel runs a wooden spoon through the mixture, testing its viscosity. The entire head of the spoon is covered in a layer of fruit juices and seeds.

“Toppin’ is done,” Epel quickly removes the strawberries from the heat and onto the cool counter. “Now I just need to let it cool down, right?”

“Yup!” Yuu nods as they peer inside the pot. “Ooh, it looks just right.”

“HUMAN!” Sebek calls, slamming down a bowl of whipped cream--peaks as stiff as a monster’s horns. “I have completed my assigned task!” He puffs up with pride, eyes sparkling.

“Perfect. You did a great job, Sebek.” Yuu glances over at  Jack, who is still fumbling with his cream cheese. “How’s that coming along?”

“I’ll be done with my half in a bit,” Jack says bashfully, ears flattening. “I just need to get the last of these lumps out...”

“Allow me to assist, my comrade!” Sebek offers with a beam. Jack reluctantly hands over his whisk and allows him to take over.

“Oi, Deuce!” Ace hisses. “What’s takin’ that damn butter so long? Everyone’s nearly done with their parts, and the crust isn’t even in the oven yet!”

“Just wait a little bit more!” Deuce insists with an audible huff. “You can’t rush perfec--”

BOOM!

The microwave rattles, a dark brown liquid splattering on its window from the inside. A high-pitched beep resounds shortly after, indicating that the timer is done. It is accompanied by a deep, smoky smell.

.All heads slowly turn to the culprit.

“Deuce! The hell?! How did you mess up melting butter?!” Ace shouts, seizing his friend by the collar and roughly shaking him. “You burned that stuff like it was nobody’s business!”

“Ehehe...oops.”

“DON’T ‘OOPS’ US! THIS IS NO SUCH TRIVIAL MATTER!”

“...Can you please not raise your voice so much?”

“O-Oh no...We’ll have to clean up the microwave now, yeah? And start over on the butter...”

Yuu heaves a sigh, pinching the bridge of their nose. Trust the first years to make even making a simple dessert into a reality TV show.