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summoning cauldrons
deuce spade. デュース・スペード
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DEALING WITH A frustrated Deuce can be one of the funniest things in the world. So, with this notion in mind, it was instinctive for you to offer him help with his magic.
And that brings you to this moment, you sit more or less comfortably on the grass of the Heartslabyul garden, resting on your hands and leaning back a little.
In front of you Deuce, his lips are twisted into something very similar to a pout as he shakes his head slightly. "I can't do it." He repeats, more to himself than to you, pen in hand as he avoids your gaze.
"Come on Deuce, if you say that you're off to a bad start." You try to encourage him, receiving another head shake.
"Deuce." His name leaves your lips firmly, immediately drawing his attention. His eyes lift from the ground and focus on you.
"Don't make me get up or it's the end for you." You sense this, which leads the boy to raise his eyebrows before, albeit reluctantly, humoring you. It's clear that he doesn't want to deal with one of your tickling attacks.
"Okay, fine. But don't be surprised when you see that I'm right." You let an exasperated sigh escape you and this time it's your turn to shake your head.
"I told you, only cauldrons come out." He still tries to convince you to leave it alone, that his is a hopeless case and that he is destined to summon cauldrons for the rest of his life.
"Stop being dramatic."
He falls silent. It's a bit like that with him, you see how he constantly tries to do better and surpass his middle school self, but this desire sometimes leads him to be harsh towards himself.
Seeing him like this is entertaining up to a point.
"If you keep thinking about it, it's bound to be the only thing that comes out of it when you cast the spell." You try to explain to him, voice clear to make him take you seriously.
He stops for a moment, his eyes look at you, albeit a little lost, as he assimilates your words. Then he nods a little unsurely, gripping the pen tighter.
"If you do that you'll break it."
"Oh, right."
He relaxes his shoulders before taking a deep breath, closing his eyes as air fills his lungs. "Okay, I'm ready."
You smile at him happily, before urging him with a wave of your hand. "Come on, start with, I don't know, a book."
He clears his throat, before frowning in concentration, lips pressed together. "I summon thee-" A noise from somewhere else in the garden resonates loudly, until it reaches your ears.
You turn, taking your attention away from Deuce who, even more distracted by your lack of supervision of him, panics.
"C-Cauldron!"
Your eyes widen, your head turning towards him immediately. "Deuce!"
The large black cauldron falls a few meters away from you, onto the rose bush to your right. The branches break, yielding under the weight of the iron pot, the roses fall with them.
A moment of silence; your gaze shifts repeatedly between the boy and the disaster next to you, while Deuce seems to be frozen in stone.
However, he is the one who breaks the tension. "It's over for me."
"Deu-"
"No, don't 'Deuce' me. Why did you take your attention away from me?" You look at him for a moment in shock; he also got distracted by the noise but now it's your fault? Wait...
You giggle a little. "You're jealous?" He blushes at your question, mumbling something under his breath.
While you look around, no one seems to have witnessed the scene, probably because all the others too were attracted by that noise.
You stand up, walking towards him before grabbing his hand. "Come on, if someone asks you, you and I have been at the Botanical Garden this whole time, Leona owes me a favor so he'll be our alibi."
"Do you think Riddle won't find out?"
"There's no harm in trying."
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