Deuce and Sebek

Sebek and Deuce overlap in a vignette where Sebek is overwhelmed by the crowds at the school store during a special sale.

Having failed in his task to purchase pudding for Lilia, Deuce gives him one of the twenty that he bought in exchange for help carrying his eight shopping bags to Heartslabyul (including ingredients for Trey and requests by other students).

When Deuce is possessed by a ghost that cries for its mother during Spectral Soiree Sebek is not patient with him, and makes fun of him once his consciousness has returned.

Deuce later gets an opportunity to tease Sebek right back.

Deuce has a voice line about wanting to study more so that Sebek will not be able to talk down to him.

Deuce accidentally teaches Malleus what “talking trash” means in a vignette, and when Malleus decides to remember the terminology Deuce responds, “Please don’t! Language like that is beneath you!And if Sebek finds out I taught you that, he’ll chew me out for sure….”

Sebek is Deuce’s judge for the master chef event and is unimpressed by Deuce’s poor filleting skills. Sebek offers to take Deuce fishing in the future, which Deuce says he would appreciate.

Deuce struggles to keep up with his group during Spectral Soiree, frustrating Sebek (“We cannot stand around and wait for one puny human to recover!”), who decides to leave the others behind and strike out on his own.

Deuce intercepts him, asking why he has been acting strange, and deduces the source of Sebek’s discontent: feeling helpless after being separated from Lilia, Malleus and Silver (Sebek claims he is not feeling helpless in the slightest).

Deuce tells Sebek, When we find who did this, I’m gonna make up for how I embarrassed myself. Don’t hate me if I end up takin’ ’em down before you can, Sebek!,” and Sebek declares, “if you INSIST, I shall keep you company! I’m sure the three of you would be helpless without me,” annoying Deuce with how rudely he speaks to the upperclassmen of their group.

After Deuce drops out of the Glorious Masquerade group, having injured himself saving Idia’s life, Idia wonders if he should have stayed back with Deuce and Rook as he has grown tired of running.

Sebek responds, “You would mock Deuce and Rook’s kindness after they spared you from their fate?!”

Deuce is not impressed by Sebek’s inability to discuss anyone but Malleus, telling Silver and Lilia directly about a problems that Sebek caused in one of their joint classes.

Deuce explains, “as an aspiring honor student, I can’t condone your behavior.  Having confidence is fine and all, but you shouldn’t make things harder for others. That’s just being obnoxious.”

At the beginning of Book 7 Deuce thanks Lilia for helping them with the event of Book 2 and, in exchange, Lilia asks him and the other first-year students to “give (Sebek) a little nudge if they happen to notice him ever stuck at some point during their time as students at NRC. 

Deuce asks if he doesn’t want them to help Sebek instead and Lilia observes, “If the people here willingly accepted the hands proffered to them, they wouldn’t have been chosen by the Dark Mirror,” and Deuce agrees.

Sebek says that they have joint classes together and Deuce “presents himself well enough,” but Sebek has always suspecting he wasn’t “entirely upstanding,” having “seen him stay after class somewhat frequently.”

Sebek lectures Deuce for the library of empty books in his dream, saying, “If you fancy yourself an honor student, you should read these books and spar with the knowledge gained within.”

Deuce is revealed to have read just one book—a children’s book about the card soldiers who served the Queen of Hearts—which seems to intrigue Sebek: he decides to pick it up after they escape from the dream worlds.

Deuce decides that he is going to read enough to fill the pages of all the books in his dream (Sebek: “I’ll believe it when I see it”), and Silver suggests that Sebek pick out books for Deuce (and Grim) at their reading level. 

Initially Sebek responds “Why should I?,” but he then follows with, “Once we’re back in the real world, I want to visit the school library to check out Card Soldier Stories. I suppose I could pick out a suitable book or two for each of you while l’m there. After all, I DO pity all of you and your lack of appreciation for reading!”

Deuce reflects, “maybe Lilia doesn’t need to worry about him TOO much…”

Later in Book 7 they fail to convince Ace that he is in a dream, and Deuce tells Sebek that he was in the wrong for how he went about it, saying, “I’m not taking (Ace’s) side. I’m just saying anyone would get ticked off by how you were talking.”