Chapter ???: Amaretto

Chapter ???: Amaretto

Originally created May 2024 - Synopsis 5/9/25

A.C.E. is looking far more annoyed than normal this morning as he faces a nervous Dicer. He asks Dicer to walk him though what happened again - as if he didn't hear him the first time - and Dicer bashfully recounts the event.

It turns out that earlier that morning, on the way to meet up with A.C.E. he runs into C.O.C.A. who is poised to knock on his leader's door. She locks eyes with Dicer and smiles, waving him over enthusiastically. She greets him good morning and says that he is just the person she wanted to see (despite being seen trying to get A.C.E.’s attention just moments prior). Dicer responds in kind and asks her what she needs from them. C.O.C.A. sing-songs that she is hosting a surprise pop-up cafe downstairs and just happens to be a few staff short. Turning up the dramatics, she further explains her plight and states that surely he and A.C.E. would be able to lend her a hand. 

Dicer tries to explain that he would have to check with A.C.E. first, but he fumbles his words, giving C.O.C.A. the opportunity to cut him off and loudly declare to the closed door next to them that she is grateful they agreed to help and to report to the cafe as soon as possible. 

From the commotion, A.C.E. opens the door and raises an eyebrow as he assesses the two people outside his door. He starts to ask them what they are doing, but C.O.C.A. interrupts him as well. She quickly thanks him for agreeing to assist and that she expects to see him shortly for his fitting. Before anything else can be uttered, she skips away, leaving the two boys alone in the hall - seemingly run over from the conversation - completing the flashback loop.

—-time skip—-

A.C.E. is seen standing in one of the makeshift backrooms of the cafe as he adjusts his cuffs and asks C.O.C.A. why she needed them (A.C.E. And Dicer) specifically for this event.

She responds as she’s rummaging through a clothing bag that it’s sound logic in that Dicer has a sunny personality that would be perfect for drawing in a crowd and that his luck might help them generate greater than average attendance. She turns back to A.C.E. with a more mischievous smile and says that more importantly, she would not miss this opportunity for anything as she triumphantly holds up a maid outfit ensemble that is puffy enough to obscure most of her. A.C.E. eyes the dress wearily, as he recalls being in this exact situation before and thinking he really shouldn’t be surprised at all (he has an additional side thought to this that he’s glad that the dress is not nearly as short as it could be and is internally grateful for this small blessing).

C.O.C.A. sizes up the others’ reaction to the costume and bargains with him that if he keeps it on for the whole event and doesn’t try to sneak out early, she’ll owe him a “favor” he can trade to have her fix things the next time he inevitably breaks something in town. A.C.E. thinks back to a series of similar deals they had made in the past and quickly agrees to the deal.

—time passes—

A.C.E. is putting on the final pieces of his costume as Dicer comes over to him. Dicer compliments him and A.C.E. sides steps it by asking why Dicer isn't wearing a maid outfit as well. Dicer explains that he was going to, but he was told it wouldn't fit him right because of his height and that he dug these clothes out of the wardrobe C.O.C.A. had brought in. A.C.E. is about to call BS on this but sees that Dicer seems happy enough and that it wasn't worth stressing the other over. A bell rings In the distance, interrupting them and someone shouts that they are opening the cafe. Dicer wishes A.C.E. luck for the day and walks them out to start their shift. 

The day plays out in a series of montages showing the success of the event. The place was constantly packed. A.C.E. is seen expertly delivering treats to customers,and Dicer draws people over and directs them to open seating. There are only two mishaps - one where A.C.E. is confessed to by a zellous customer and Dicer has them leave for “making the staff uncomfortable” and one where T.O.M.O. turns up just to jeer at him and A.C.E. dumps a bucket of water on him from a void to get him to quit it. C.O.C.A. lightly reprimands both of them and assigns them to teardown cleaning duty. They both get a cake break, and the day progresses with other snippets until the event is over and A.C.E. And Dicer are left together to clean up.

A.C.E., now freed from his uniform, is seen using his voids to store the furniture Dicer has finished cleaning the surfaces of, and in the moment of quiet after their busy day, Dicer gets to speak to A.C.E. casually. He remarks on the day and gets around to asking about A.C.E.’s maid outfit. A.C.E. tells him he made a deal with C.O.C.A. and explains a bit about the “favors” they gain from each other and how C.O.C.A, likes to use hers to get A.C.E. to dress up as if he’s a living doll. He huffs, but there is no real heat behind it. He goes on to say that he suspects C.O.C.A. does this in an effort to get him to take a break from his normally busy schedule and as a way for them to bond in a way that makes sense for her. 

Dicer thinks that is really kind of C.O.C.A., despite how busy she is, to keep making sure they have that time together and to look after him in her own way. He says offhandedly that they remind him of siblings. A.C.E. thinks on this as Dicer tells him about his older sister and some of the fun they would have together growing up and about how his younger sister had made him laugh the other week by trying to apply hexes to inanimate objects to no avail. Dicer laughs at the memory as A.C.E. watches him.

He hadn’t ever really thought about it before so explicitly, but A.C.E. sees that C.O.C.A. has acted as a sister to him ever since they met and that she is the closest thing he has to family after all this time. The thought warms his heart as they finalize getting everything put away. Dicer pulls A.C.E. back out of his thoughts by saying that he should come over sometime and meet his sisters, and A.C.E. pauses. He thinks at that moment if this is what it is like to have family and a friend and is surprised a bit to find that he might have both. The thought brings a small smile to his face as he agrees to meet Dicer's family. Dicer hadn’t really expected A.C.E. to agree and lights up at the prospect. As they head back upstairs together, he starts talking about how A.C.E. could come over for dinner later that week while the lights turn out in the cafe. 

Chapter end.