Twisted Wonderland

Past Improprieties

"There! Finally got 'em all pureed!" Ace wipes a hand across his brow.

You're finally finished with shelling and puréing all the chestnuts all while trying to swipe back the chestnuts Grim managed to nab to try to eat.

Deuce rubs his tired arms. "My arms are killing me."

Trey laughs. "Nice work. It'll be all the sweeter for your pain!"

"The smell alone already has me droolin'." Grim's eyes were locked on the tart as Trey mixed the chestnut purée with other ingredients.

"I just need to add butter and sugar to the chestnut paste, and a sensible splash of oyster sauce, that's my secret ingredient!"

"Oyster sauce!" Deuce and Ace cry out. You tilt your head in confusion. Wouldn't that just ruin the tart?

Trey merely smiles. "Yep. The umami of the oysters gives the cream a deep, savory flavor. I use this one here: Walrus-brand Young Oyster Sauce. All the best bakers use it in their tarts." Trey says like it's matter of fact.

Deuce looks just as confused as you. "Really? But isn't oyster sauce like, super salty?"

Ace put a hand to his head, scratching his head in thought. "Some folks put chocolate into curry, don't they? Maybe it's the same idea."

Trey bursted out laughing, catching you off guard. Trey holds his sides from laughing so hard. "I'm totally lying! No one in their right mind would put oyster sauce into a pastry."

"What? So you were just yankin' our chain?" exclaims Ace.

Trey finally catches his breath from laughing at your befuddled faces. "I mean, if you'd used your brain, you'd have realized how ridiculous it was! Let that be a lesson to you. Don't believe everything you hear."

Grim folds his arms, looking unimpressed. "Feh. And here I thought that human was actually somewhat decent."

"Grim!" You whisper-yelled to the cat. You pull him off the counter and into your arms, making sure he wouldn't get into more trouble.

Trey continues stirring. "Next, I'll put in the cream... Oh!"

"What's wrong?" Asked Ace.

"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."

Deuce steps forward. "Then I'll go buy some. Do they sell it at the school store?"

Trey tilts his head in thought. "They sell pretty much everything, so... probably. Can I have you pick me up a few other things?" Trey starts writing a list. "I need two cartons of milk, two packs of eggs, some muffin cups, five cans of fruit."

"I don't think I'll be able to carry all that back." Deuce tuns to you. "Y/N, could you come with me?"

You shrug. "Sure. I've never been to the school store yet so it would be interesting to see."

"Then I'm comin' too!" Grim states. "I'm getting dizzy from all this stirrin'. I need a break!"

You, Deuce and Grim walk into the little building that was the school store. Once inside, the room is full to the brim with different knick knacks and oddities. There was so much to look at it was hard to tell where one shelf ended and another began. Deuce approached the checkout counter and rang a small bell.

"Hello, can I get some he- Whoa. This shop is wild. They have crystal skulls, grimoires, taxidermied... Uh, I don't even know what animal that is!"

You stifle a giggle from how easy Deuce got so distracted. Grim quirks an eye from your arms.