[Dragalia Lost] fic: My Best Friend's Heart Was Broken So Now I'm Trying to Cheer Him Up
Parallels ran so smoothly~. Here's the fic I wrote!
Title: My Best Friend's Heart Was Broken So Now I'm Trying to Cheer Him Up
Fandom: Dragalia Lost
Words: 2,717
Summary: Ranzal thinks Luca got his heart broken by Aoi. It's all a misunderstanding, really, but Ranzal sets out to cheer Luca up. It includes sneaking into the kitchen together because food always makes everything better. And Luca always has the largest grins on those escapades. Ranzal/Luca
Notes: This was originally titled "Cheer Up" before I decided that since this was such a fluffy fic, I might as well give it a silly name, so I gave it a very light novel'ish name, ahaha. Written for
kalloway for
parallelsfic 2019. Based off of Dragalia Life #116, the Newlywed Ninja, which can be read over here. The story also takes bits of inspiration from the Dragalia Lost castle stories, That Special Day Part One, Two, and Three, but the gist is that a bunch of them are preparing for three fake weddings in a wedding battle to see which wedding is better.
My Best Friend's Heart Was Broken So Now I'm Trying to Cheer Him Up
Ranzal couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. Aoi, dressed in some fancy wedding get-up, had just shot Luca down without any mercy whatsoever. She did say she was happy about how he felt, but she wasn't looking to get married.
If ya ain't lookin' to get hitched, then what's with that get-up?
She was obviously looking to get married, just not to Luca! Poor Luca... and Ranzal had somehow stumbled upon a front row seat to his pal's demise.
In all the time they'd spent together, Ranzal hadn't even known Luca had feelings for her. What a terrible, thoughtless friend he was to Luca. The most horrible friend ever. That must be why Ranzal was feeling so awful right now. So, so horrid. Ugh.
But now that he knew and had seen Luca get shot down before his eyes, he couldn't just let his friend wallow in grief by himself. He had to do something to cheer him up!
Right, he had to cheer Luca up.
So, he fixed a grin on his face and clapped Luca on the shoulder.
"Didn't mean to watch ya get yer heart broken!" There, he should sound normal enough. Totally not forced. "Don't worry bud, you'll live. Wanna grab some grub?"
Food. Food was always the answer. It would keep Luca's mind off of his heartbreak.
"Huh?" Luca blinked, looking all confused. Poor guy. He was completely beside himself, but Ranzal was certain that food would solve this problem. After all, Luca always had the largest grin whenever they snuck food from the cooks together on these escapades of theirs. It made sneaking food so much fun.
"Grub," Ranzal said simply, since anything more probably wasn't going to get through to Luca when he was still in the midst of his heartbreak.
Luca tilted his head, one ear twitching, but soon said with a finger held by his cheek as he thought out loud, "Ya think they have apples today?"
The sheer relief that came over Ranzal didn't quite make sense to him, but he was pretty relieved. Like a whole lot. Luca was almost back to his usual self.
"If they don't, Imma find some. No worries," Ranzal promised and thumped himself on the chest, the discomforting feelings from earlier ebbing away just a bit.
Apples. Now, that was a superb plan. Luca loved apples!
For some reason, Cleo, Sazanka, Vice and a bunch of others were all in the kitchen. Was some sort of feast planned or what? Ranzal rarely ever saw so many people in the kitchen all at the same time.
It was totally crowded, making sneaking in a difficult task. Sure, Ranzal had perfected sneaking past one person (ya just hafta wait for them to turn and tend to somethin' else) but he was no ninja to be able to sneak past an entire crowd.
So, sneaking was out. Bummer. That was half the fun. Or was it really impossible?
Ranzal glanced at Luca, who had a small frown on his face. That wouldn't do. He turned back to study the room. It was really super duper crowded. Cleo was at the oven, checking on whatever was baking. Sazanka was at the counter, making some intricate dish with raw fish. Both of them had helpers like Melody and Lucretia handing them supplies and ingredients. Meanwhile, Vice was at the table by himself, peeling... a pumpkin?
In any case, Vice was by himself, so clearly the table was the easiest target. Even better was that the barrel of fruits was near the table, so they could just sneak in, grab the apples, and go. But the barrel of fruits being near the table was also bad, because Vice was at the table, so that meant that the fruits were very close to him, too. Like, pretty much right next to him, and Vice's hearing and reaction speed were no joke.
This was going to take some super sneaking skills!
Ranzal caught Luca's eye and leaned over to whisper, "Ya see that barrel over there by Vice?"
Luca nodded. "Yup."
"Betcha the apples are there."
"Gotcha. I have a plan," Luca whispered back, dependable as always in how to have fun. With his index and middle fingers pointing down and his other hand held vertically, he mimed tiptoeing to hide behind something, probably the nearest pillar. Then, he pointed at three pillars and two crates that would provide a route to Vice. Sure, it was a pretty meandering path, but that was the price to pay to remain hidden. Last of all, he patted his pocket and said, "As a last resort."
Oh boy, that was just asking for Ranzal to wonder the entire time what Luca had planned this time! Was it chuckleberry smoke bombs, or was it something else? Ever since Sylas had joined them, there was really no telling what else Luca would dream up to use in his pranks, as Sylas could very well make them a reality.
With a nod at each other, Luca inched out of the safety of their current hiding spot near the entrance, making his way to their first destination, pillar number one, which would bring him near the oven where Cleo was. He had the timing down pat, tiptoeing past the oven area when she had her back to him. She was just about to turn when Luca managed to reach the first pillar. He quickly hid behind it and even grabbed one ear to prevent it from sticking out.
Ranzal heaved a sigh of relief. Obstacle number one cleared. As Luca peeked out from the pillar to determine if the coast was clear to make his way to the next pillar, Ranzal rolled his shoulders and his neck, waiting for Cleo to face the other way. She could get pretty into whatever she was cooking and not notice anything around her after that, and that was exactly the moment Ranzal was waiting for. His feet weren't as light as Luca's, so it was going to take a lot for him to sneak past Cleo.
Cleo opened the oven and brought out a super delicious smelling cake.
Luca darted out from the pillar, keeping his body low.
Ranzal tiptoed out, putting all his training on the field to good work.
When they both reached their destinations safely, they shared a conspiratorial grin and a thumbs up. In such a way, they snuck past Melody and Lucretia as well, darting behind each pillar in the nick of time, until they came to the final two safe areas, the two crates.
Now, Sazanka was busy with whatever she was making, some sort of dish from Hinomoto that was clearly taking all of her attention. She had moved on from the fish-whoa was that shrimp too? Anyways, she held a knife in her hand and was turning a carrot in her other hand around and around, resulting in a thin, orange strip that she delicately placed on the food. It really looked too pretty to be eaten. After she decorated one dish, she started on another.
Round and round, the carrot twirled, the long, thin strip it was peeled into dancing in the air.
Luca was already making his way to the final crate, so Ranzal began making his way to the first crate, which would require him to squat down to fit behind it and hide from Sazanka. They were already so close to their final destination-the table-but the carrot getting peeled in such a way was just so mesmerizing that Ranzal did not move quite as quickly as he needed to.
When he realized Sazanka was about to turn, Ranzal swore to himself and quickly slid behind the crate, only to bump right smack into something... No, wait, someone!
Heart pounding, Ranzal lifted his head, only to be met with soft green eyes. Very wide, soft green eyes that were peering back at him in surprise.
Whoops. Luca must not have reached the last crate in time (Didja keep yer eyes peeled on that carrot too, Luca?) and decided that it was safer to retreat, with this crate being closer. Drat, Ranzal should have given Luca more of a head start. The two of them didn't quite fit behind this crate together. They were so going to be seen.
"Hm?" Sazanka said.
Oh no. Oh no no. Not when they'd already come this far! The apples were within reach!
"Is something the matter?" Lucretia asked.
He felt a tug, and suddenly he fell right against Luca, who gave an "oomph" but managed not to completely fall over, but it was really a near thing. Ranzal silently apologized in his mind but got the hint, pulling Luca closer so that they would actually kind of fit behind the crate. Now they were pretty much flush against each other. Luca's hair was so soft, and those hands he had around Ranzal's waist felt good...
Wait, his ears!
Ranzal quickly reached up and held Luca's head, pulling him down against his chest, hoping that would be enough to keep his ears out of sight, but nope. Nope, those fluffy green things were still sticking out above the crate. Gaaaah!
With his other hand, Ranzal reached higher and poked Luca's ears, the arms around his waist abruptly tightening, and was that an "eep" that escaped from Luca? Oh boy, if Ranzal had thought that Luca's hair was soft, then these ears were a whole 'nother ball park. But Luca got the hint and moved his ears. Just, not enough, so Ranzal guided them down a bit more. It was no wonder that Elisanne couldn't resist touching Luca's ears! They were super duper soft...
"I thought I heard, no... saw something?" Sazanka said.
Don't come this way. Don't come this way! Ranzal chanted to himself and held his breath.
"Eeeeek!" Melody suddenly shouted. "The bread is burning!"
"Again?!" Cleo yelled back.
"Oh dear, is it the yeast again? I thought for sure we used the right amount this time..." Lucretia said.
"Quick, put out the fire!" Sazanka said.
Thanks to the commotion, Ranzal was able to let out a sigh of relief. He felt Luca relax in his arms too, though all of a sudden, he was shaking.
"Luca?" Ranzal whispered in concern only to realize that Luca was actually laughing but trying not to make any noise by burying his face against Ranzal to muffle his laughter. His fluffy ears brushed against Ranzal's face, tickling him. Ranzal huffed but was buoyed by the cheer Luca felt.
He couldn't help running a hand down one of Luca's ears. Luca shivered and buried himself against Ranzal even more. For some reason, Ranzal's heart started to beat faster again even though they weren't currently in any danger. He breathed in slowly, hoping to calm his erratic heart, but no dice.
Though oh, there it was. Smell of burnt bread. He wrinkled his nose.
With everyone distracted, this was their chance to reach their goal. Reluctantly, Ranzal let Luca go, and Luca released his arms as well, backing up in a rather slow fashion. Luca stared at him, and Ranzal stared right back, unable to tear his eyes away from those soft green ones. And oh, Ranzal had made a mess of Luca's hair.
He reached out, running a hand down Luca's hair to smooth it down.
Luca lowered his eyes and reached up with his hand, smoothing the rest down himself as a rosy pink dusted his cheeks.
This time, they set off for the final crate together, now that they knew they could fit behind it together (sort of... kinda...well, not really, but Ranzal totally didn't mind the closeness). Then, it was the table, their target almost within reach.
Ranzal had hoped that Vice would have left to help out with the bread too, but luck was not in their favor, as Vice was still glued to the table. He had a frown on his face as he stabbed at a pumpkin.
"I only said that I knew how to peel pumpkins... How did I end up as the main cook for Xania? I'm an assassin, not a cook," he grumbled under his breath and gave the pumpkin another stab.
Ranzal wasn't sure what Vice was trying to make. Dismembered pumpkin? In any case, he was plenty focused on the pumpkin, so much that the burning bread wasn't even registering. This could very well be their chance.
Luca shared a look with Ranzal, and then a grin spread across his face as he jerked his head at the barrel. There it was, that cheeky grin that Ranzal had wanted to see all day. Ranzal's heart gave a thump, thump.
He was still watching when Luca inched forward while keeping an eye on Vice. Ranzal could still see the corner of that grin. Luca truly always enjoyed mischief to the fullest. That grin was even more distracting than the ultra skilled carrot peeling from earlier.
Once Luca got to the barrel, he stuck his hand into it and pulled out their prize. Finally, after all the hardships they had suffered to reach their goal!
He spun around, happily holding it out for Ranzal to see.
Ranzal stared.
Luca blinked. He looked down.
"A pumpkin?!! A tiny pumpkin??? Where's my apple?" he blurted, shaking the offensive orange object in his hand back and forth.
Vice's head snapped up. "What? Give me that pumpkin back! I need it!"
It was only then that Ranzal noticed all the pumpkins of all sizes scattered across the table, in all sorts of sad states, some with their guts spilled, some with their skin shaved off. He had thought there were other fruits and veggies on the table, but nope, only pumpkins. Were there only pumpkins in that barrel too and nothing else?!
"Luca! Ranzal! You two again!" Cleo shouted and propped her hands on her waist.
Luca caught Ranzal's eyes, hand reaching into his pocket. He grabbed whatever he had stashed there and said, "Hold your breath!"
Ranzal did as told. Luca made a tossing motion. Poof! The room filled with smoke as he and Luca ran outside, laughing the entire time with cries of "Lucaaaa!" following them and even a cry of "nooo, my pumpkin!" By the time they reached the other side of the Halidom, they couldn't help but collapse against the wall in laughter, grins still wide on their faces.
Luca tossed the pumpkin up and down.
"Sorry, Imma getcha that apple somewhere else," Ranzal said.
Luca shrugged. "Eh, it's fine."
"No, really, yer heart was just broken. It's the least I can do, y'know, to cheer ya up," Ranzal said.
"Huh?" Luca caught the pumpkin but didn't toss it up in the air again. "My heart was broken?"
"Y'know, with Aoi?" Ranzal said. "Didn't she turn ya down?"
"Um, no." Luca scratched his face. "Oh! That. It was just a misunderstanding. Thought she was gonna get married. I was so excited to tell everyone, but I think she misunderstood something."
Oh. Ohhh.
"What? So that's it?" Ranzal couldn't help the laughter bubbling out of him, his heart feeling so much lighter. Why, it was like he was the one who had been cheered up! He slapped his knees. "A misunderstandin' of a misunderstandin'!"
The relief that came over Ranzal was even greater than before. He jumped up and shouted, "Come on! Let's hit the town for some apples!"
"Eh? You're really gonna go that far to get me an apple? My heart wasn't broken or anything!" Luca said but followed Ranzal up.
"I just wanna." Ranzal shrugged and swung an arm around Luca's shoulder. "Come on! It's a date. Besides... do ya really wanna be here when Cleo and the rest come chasin' after us? What was that smoke anyways?"
Luca's eyes widened. "You're right! Let's scram! I don't wanna be here when they chase after me for throwing the Chuckleberry Smoke Bomb Deluxe Version 3X at them!"
Not to mention, Vice would probably want his tiny pumpkin back, and with how Luca was holding onto it tightly, he probably didn't want to give it back.
It ain't no apple, but it was proof of their time spent together all the same
the end
I imagine they eventually do get caught and are roped into helping out, which is how the Halidom Grooms wyrmprint comes about.
Ranzal's way of talking in the localization is quite something. XD;; I decided to only write like that in some thoughts and when he speaks out loud while the rest of the story isn't all like that.
This entry was originally posted at https://lucathia.dreamwidth.org/366553.html. You can comment here or there.
Title: My Best Friend's Heart Was Broken So Now I'm Trying to Cheer Him Up
Fandom: Dragalia Lost
Words: 2,717
Summary: Ranzal thinks Luca got his heart broken by Aoi. It's all a misunderstanding, really, but Ranzal sets out to cheer Luca up. It includes sneaking into the kitchen together because food always makes everything better. And Luca always has the largest grins on those escapades. Ranzal/Luca
Notes: This was originally titled "Cheer Up" before I decided that since this was such a fluffy fic, I might as well give it a silly name, so I gave it a very light novel'ish name, ahaha. Written for
kalloway for
parallelsfic 2019. Based off of Dragalia Life #116, the Newlywed Ninja, which can be read over here. The story also takes bits of inspiration from the Dragalia Lost castle stories, That Special Day Part One, Two, and Three, but the gist is that a bunch of them are preparing for three fake weddings in a wedding battle to see which wedding is better.
My Best Friend's Heart Was Broken So Now I'm Trying to Cheer Him Up
Ranzal couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. Aoi, dressed in some fancy wedding get-up, had just shot Luca down without any mercy whatsoever. She did say she was happy about how he felt, but she wasn't looking to get married.
If ya ain't lookin' to get hitched, then what's with that get-up?
She was obviously looking to get married, just not to Luca! Poor Luca... and Ranzal had somehow stumbled upon a front row seat to his pal's demise.
In all the time they'd spent together, Ranzal hadn't even known Luca had feelings for her. What a terrible, thoughtless friend he was to Luca. The most horrible friend ever. That must be why Ranzal was feeling so awful right now. So, so horrid. Ugh.
But now that he knew and had seen Luca get shot down before his eyes, he couldn't just let his friend wallow in grief by himself. He had to do something to cheer him up!
Right, he had to cheer Luca up.
So, he fixed a grin on his face and clapped Luca on the shoulder.
"Didn't mean to watch ya get yer heart broken!" There, he should sound normal enough. Totally not forced. "Don't worry bud, you'll live. Wanna grab some grub?"
Food. Food was always the answer. It would keep Luca's mind off of his heartbreak.
"Huh?" Luca blinked, looking all confused. Poor guy. He was completely beside himself, but Ranzal was certain that food would solve this problem. After all, Luca always had the largest grin whenever they snuck food from the cooks together on these escapades of theirs. It made sneaking food so much fun.
"Grub," Ranzal said simply, since anything more probably wasn't going to get through to Luca when he was still in the midst of his heartbreak.
Luca tilted his head, one ear twitching, but soon said with a finger held by his cheek as he thought out loud, "Ya think they have apples today?"
The sheer relief that came over Ranzal didn't quite make sense to him, but he was pretty relieved. Like a whole lot. Luca was almost back to his usual self.
"If they don't, Imma find some. No worries," Ranzal promised and thumped himself on the chest, the discomforting feelings from earlier ebbing away just a bit.
Apples. Now, that was a superb plan. Luca loved apples!
For some reason, Cleo, Sazanka, Vice and a bunch of others were all in the kitchen. Was some sort of feast planned or what? Ranzal rarely ever saw so many people in the kitchen all at the same time.
It was totally crowded, making sneaking in a difficult task. Sure, Ranzal had perfected sneaking past one person (ya just hafta wait for them to turn and tend to somethin' else) but he was no ninja to be able to sneak past an entire crowd.
So, sneaking was out. Bummer. That was half the fun. Or was it really impossible?
Ranzal glanced at Luca, who had a small frown on his face. That wouldn't do. He turned back to study the room. It was really super duper crowded. Cleo was at the oven, checking on whatever was baking. Sazanka was at the counter, making some intricate dish with raw fish. Both of them had helpers like Melody and Lucretia handing them supplies and ingredients. Meanwhile, Vice was at the table by himself, peeling... a pumpkin?
In any case, Vice was by himself, so clearly the table was the easiest target. Even better was that the barrel of fruits was near the table, so they could just sneak in, grab the apples, and go. But the barrel of fruits being near the table was also bad, because Vice was at the table, so that meant that the fruits were very close to him, too. Like, pretty much right next to him, and Vice's hearing and reaction speed were no joke.
This was going to take some super sneaking skills!
Ranzal caught Luca's eye and leaned over to whisper, "Ya see that barrel over there by Vice?"
Luca nodded. "Yup."
"Betcha the apples are there."
"Gotcha. I have a plan," Luca whispered back, dependable as always in how to have fun. With his index and middle fingers pointing down and his other hand held vertically, he mimed tiptoeing to hide behind something, probably the nearest pillar. Then, he pointed at three pillars and two crates that would provide a route to Vice. Sure, it was a pretty meandering path, but that was the price to pay to remain hidden. Last of all, he patted his pocket and said, "As a last resort."
Oh boy, that was just asking for Ranzal to wonder the entire time what Luca had planned this time! Was it chuckleberry smoke bombs, or was it something else? Ever since Sylas had joined them, there was really no telling what else Luca would dream up to use in his pranks, as Sylas could very well make them a reality.
With a nod at each other, Luca inched out of the safety of their current hiding spot near the entrance, making his way to their first destination, pillar number one, which would bring him near the oven where Cleo was. He had the timing down pat, tiptoeing past the oven area when she had her back to him. She was just about to turn when Luca managed to reach the first pillar. He quickly hid behind it and even grabbed one ear to prevent it from sticking out.
Ranzal heaved a sigh of relief. Obstacle number one cleared. As Luca peeked out from the pillar to determine if the coast was clear to make his way to the next pillar, Ranzal rolled his shoulders and his neck, waiting for Cleo to face the other way. She could get pretty into whatever she was cooking and not notice anything around her after that, and that was exactly the moment Ranzal was waiting for. His feet weren't as light as Luca's, so it was going to take a lot for him to sneak past Cleo.
Cleo opened the oven and brought out a super delicious smelling cake.
Luca darted out from the pillar, keeping his body low.
Ranzal tiptoed out, putting all his training on the field to good work.
When they both reached their destinations safely, they shared a conspiratorial grin and a thumbs up. In such a way, they snuck past Melody and Lucretia as well, darting behind each pillar in the nick of time, until they came to the final two safe areas, the two crates.
Now, Sazanka was busy with whatever she was making, some sort of dish from Hinomoto that was clearly taking all of her attention. She had moved on from the fish-whoa was that shrimp too? Anyways, she held a knife in her hand and was turning a carrot in her other hand around and around, resulting in a thin, orange strip that she delicately placed on the food. It really looked too pretty to be eaten. After she decorated one dish, she started on another.
Round and round, the carrot twirled, the long, thin strip it was peeled into dancing in the air.
Luca was already making his way to the final crate, so Ranzal began making his way to the first crate, which would require him to squat down to fit behind it and hide from Sazanka. They were already so close to their final destination-the table-but the carrot getting peeled in such a way was just so mesmerizing that Ranzal did not move quite as quickly as he needed to.
When he realized Sazanka was about to turn, Ranzal swore to himself and quickly slid behind the crate, only to bump right smack into something... No, wait, someone!
Heart pounding, Ranzal lifted his head, only to be met with soft green eyes. Very wide, soft green eyes that were peering back at him in surprise.
Whoops. Luca must not have reached the last crate in time (Didja keep yer eyes peeled on that carrot too, Luca?) and decided that it was safer to retreat, with this crate being closer. Drat, Ranzal should have given Luca more of a head start. The two of them didn't quite fit behind this crate together. They were so going to be seen.
"Hm?" Sazanka said.
Oh no. Oh no no. Not when they'd already come this far! The apples were within reach!
"Is something the matter?" Lucretia asked.
He felt a tug, and suddenly he fell right against Luca, who gave an "oomph" but managed not to completely fall over, but it was really a near thing. Ranzal silently apologized in his mind but got the hint, pulling Luca closer so that they would actually kind of fit behind the crate. Now they were pretty much flush against each other. Luca's hair was so soft, and those hands he had around Ranzal's waist felt good...
Wait, his ears!
Ranzal quickly reached up and held Luca's head, pulling him down against his chest, hoping that would be enough to keep his ears out of sight, but nope. Nope, those fluffy green things were still sticking out above the crate. Gaaaah!
With his other hand, Ranzal reached higher and poked Luca's ears, the arms around his waist abruptly tightening, and was that an "eep" that escaped from Luca? Oh boy, if Ranzal had thought that Luca's hair was soft, then these ears were a whole 'nother ball park. But Luca got the hint and moved his ears. Just, not enough, so Ranzal guided them down a bit more. It was no wonder that Elisanne couldn't resist touching Luca's ears! They were super duper soft...
"I thought I heard, no... saw something?" Sazanka said.
Don't come this way. Don't come this way! Ranzal chanted to himself and held his breath.
"Eeeeek!" Melody suddenly shouted. "The bread is burning!"
"Again?!" Cleo yelled back.
"Oh dear, is it the yeast again? I thought for sure we used the right amount this time..." Lucretia said.
"Quick, put out the fire!" Sazanka said.
Thanks to the commotion, Ranzal was able to let out a sigh of relief. He felt Luca relax in his arms too, though all of a sudden, he was shaking.
"Luca?" Ranzal whispered in concern only to realize that Luca was actually laughing but trying not to make any noise by burying his face against Ranzal to muffle his laughter. His fluffy ears brushed against Ranzal's face, tickling him. Ranzal huffed but was buoyed by the cheer Luca felt.
He couldn't help running a hand down one of Luca's ears. Luca shivered and buried himself against Ranzal even more. For some reason, Ranzal's heart started to beat faster again even though they weren't currently in any danger. He breathed in slowly, hoping to calm his erratic heart, but no dice.
Though oh, there it was. Smell of burnt bread. He wrinkled his nose.
With everyone distracted, this was their chance to reach their goal. Reluctantly, Ranzal let Luca go, and Luca released his arms as well, backing up in a rather slow fashion. Luca stared at him, and Ranzal stared right back, unable to tear his eyes away from those soft green ones. And oh, Ranzal had made a mess of Luca's hair.
He reached out, running a hand down Luca's hair to smooth it down.
Luca lowered his eyes and reached up with his hand, smoothing the rest down himself as a rosy pink dusted his cheeks.
This time, they set off for the final crate together, now that they knew they could fit behind it together (sort of... kinda...well, not really, but Ranzal totally didn't mind the closeness). Then, it was the table, their target almost within reach.
Ranzal had hoped that Vice would have left to help out with the bread too, but luck was not in their favor, as Vice was still glued to the table. He had a frown on his face as he stabbed at a pumpkin.
"I only said that I knew how to peel pumpkins... How did I end up as the main cook for Xania? I'm an assassin, not a cook," he grumbled under his breath and gave the pumpkin another stab.
Ranzal wasn't sure what Vice was trying to make. Dismembered pumpkin? In any case, he was plenty focused on the pumpkin, so much that the burning bread wasn't even registering. This could very well be their chance.
Luca shared a look with Ranzal, and then a grin spread across his face as he jerked his head at the barrel. There it was, that cheeky grin that Ranzal had wanted to see all day. Ranzal's heart gave a thump, thump.
He was still watching when Luca inched forward while keeping an eye on Vice. Ranzal could still see the corner of that grin. Luca truly always enjoyed mischief to the fullest. That grin was even more distracting than the ultra skilled carrot peeling from earlier.
Once Luca got to the barrel, he stuck his hand into it and pulled out their prize. Finally, after all the hardships they had suffered to reach their goal!
He spun around, happily holding it out for Ranzal to see.
Ranzal stared.
Luca blinked. He looked down.
"A pumpkin?!! A tiny pumpkin??? Where's my apple?" he blurted, shaking the offensive orange object in his hand back and forth.
Vice's head snapped up. "What? Give me that pumpkin back! I need it!"
It was only then that Ranzal noticed all the pumpkins of all sizes scattered across the table, in all sorts of sad states, some with their guts spilled, some with their skin shaved off. He had thought there were other fruits and veggies on the table, but nope, only pumpkins. Were there only pumpkins in that barrel too and nothing else?!
"Luca! Ranzal! You two again!" Cleo shouted and propped her hands on her waist.
Luca caught Ranzal's eyes, hand reaching into his pocket. He grabbed whatever he had stashed there and said, "Hold your breath!"
Ranzal did as told. Luca made a tossing motion. Poof! The room filled with smoke as he and Luca ran outside, laughing the entire time with cries of "Lucaaaa!" following them and even a cry of "nooo, my pumpkin!" By the time they reached the other side of the Halidom, they couldn't help but collapse against the wall in laughter, grins still wide on their faces.
Luca tossed the pumpkin up and down.
"Sorry, Imma getcha that apple somewhere else," Ranzal said.
Luca shrugged. "Eh, it's fine."
"No, really, yer heart was just broken. It's the least I can do, y'know, to cheer ya up," Ranzal said.
"Huh?" Luca caught the pumpkin but didn't toss it up in the air again. "My heart was broken?"
"Y'know, with Aoi?" Ranzal said. "Didn't she turn ya down?"
"Um, no." Luca scratched his face. "Oh! That. It was just a misunderstanding. Thought she was gonna get married. I was so excited to tell everyone, but I think she misunderstood something."
Oh. Ohhh.
"What? So that's it?" Ranzal couldn't help the laughter bubbling out of him, his heart feeling so much lighter. Why, it was like he was the one who had been cheered up! He slapped his knees. "A misunderstandin' of a misunderstandin'!"
The relief that came over Ranzal was even greater than before. He jumped up and shouted, "Come on! Let's hit the town for some apples!"
"Eh? You're really gonna go that far to get me an apple? My heart wasn't broken or anything!" Luca said but followed Ranzal up.
"I just wanna." Ranzal shrugged and swung an arm around Luca's shoulder. "Come on! It's a date. Besides... do ya really wanna be here when Cleo and the rest come chasin' after us? What was that smoke anyways?"
Luca's eyes widened. "You're right! Let's scram! I don't wanna be here when they chase after me for throwing the Chuckleberry Smoke Bomb Deluxe Version 3X at them!"
Not to mention, Vice would probably want his tiny pumpkin back, and with how Luca was holding onto it tightly, he probably didn't want to give it back.
It ain't no apple, but it was proof of their time spent together all the same
the end
I imagine they eventually do get caught and are roped into helping out, which is how the Halidom Grooms wyrmprint comes about.
Ranzal's way of talking in the localization is quite something. XD;; I decided to only write like that in some thoughts and when he speaks out loud while the rest of the story isn't all like that.
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