A Queen and Her Kings

Emo Big Bird Tries to Assert his Authority and Fails Spectacularly

Cassandra could feel her eye twitching as she looked over the scene before her.

She, Griffin, and the rest of the tired looking Court stood in the mostly empty cafeteria. Ace and Deuce were trying to help Grim get out from under the chandelier that had fallen on top of him, by pulling the black cauldron on top of it off and trying to pull him through the metal bars of his makeshift cage. Said chandelier had turned two wooden tables to splinters with the impact of its fall, and all the lights on it had completely shattered. Cassandra wanted to scream.

"What in fucks name happened?", Cassandra hissed out as her eyes started to glow and she felt her face heat up in anger. Ace and Deuce, who had just managed to free Grim after yelling loudly and falling on their asses, flinched. Grim practically jumped and tried to hide behind the other two idiots in question.

"I-uh-well, you see, the thing is-", Ace started nervously, before he was interrupted by a resigned Deuce.

"We fucked up.", he said simply. Cassandra glared at him.

"You're damn right you did. Details, now.", she hissed out, fangs bared for all to see. This time, it was Ace who spoke after sighing in resignation.

"Well, it's kind of a long story..."

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Twenty minutes earlier

Ace, Deuce and Grim had finished their personal shopping and had left their items with Griffin (aka, the designated 'keep people from doing stupid shit' person in the Court) and were now standing out in the humid air outside the shop (or in Grim's case, laying on Deuce's shoulder), bored out of their minds. Ace sighed.

"What the hell is taking them so long?!", Ace yelled out to no one in particular. It was Deuce who answered him.

"Cassandra is still talking with that Sam guy. Something to do with the new dorm she's making.", The spade marked man said with a shrug. Grim groaned.

"I wish she would hurry up! I'm so bored~!", Grim whined with a huff. Suddenly, the shop door squeaked open. The three looked back towards the noise, hoping to see Cassandra, and were disappointed to see Shorter and Griffin carrying everyone's personal shopping. Ace frowned.

"Where's Cassandra?", he asked, annoyed. Shorter sighed.

"She's still talking with Sam. She's likely going to be awhile, so we went ahead and had everything rung up, here.", Shorter said as he held out two large paper bags. The Heartslabyul duo noticed they each held their things and took their designated bag.

"You probably don't want to carry these around all day. Take them back to your dorms before your next classes, you should have enough time if you hurry. And before you start complaining, Grim, Ash is ringing up the groceries inside and is going to take those to the dorm along with your things.", Shorter said, quickly adding on the last bit when he saw Grim's furry little face contort in adorable anger.

"Sure.", said Deuce with a nod that Ace soon copied, and with that, the three began the trek down the dirt road to the mirror gate.

The walk was filled with a comfortable silence, and it wasn't until they climbed through the gate back to the mirror chamber from Heartslabyul that Grim broke it.

"You know, I've been wondering, when the hell are you two going to man up and confess?", the familiar asked slyly and out of the blue as the trio walked to the Heartslabyul gate. Both of the men in question felt their eyes widen as they turned back to the grinning creature in alarm.