Deuce first references his mother in Book 1 when it is revealed that he was “the only man of the house”, so he would help her with the heavy lifting that resulted from when she would “stock up” during sales. Deuce references helping his mother during sales again in his PE vignette (“I can’t tell you how many times I was barreled down over a single carton of eggs”) and during New Year.
During the New Year event Deuce explains that he and his mother would “sometimes compete over which of us could get more candy in our bags. Whenever I won, she’d pretend to be frustrated and challenge me to a rematch…those were the days.”
Deuce says she would study sales flyers until they’d practically disintegrate in order to find the best deals, and they would wait for hours in the cold for limited-time sales: “Not to mention all the times we had to fight through mobs of customers just to get to the stuff on sale. The point is, it was rough going.”
Deuce signs up to work at the school store for New Year’s because there is something he wants to be able to buy but does not want to have to ask his mother for money.
We meet Deuce’s mother Dylla (pronounced similar to “Dealer” in Japanese) during the White Rabbit Fes event, where she explains that they could never afford costumes for the festival when Deuce was younger, so she would receive hand-me-downs from coworkers’ children and tailor them herself for Deuce.
Deuce tells a story of a time he once saved up his allowance as a child until he’d been able to afford a bag of potato chips, saying, “I wanted to make them last, so I ate them so slowly, just a few chips at a time.”
When every member of the VDC team (except Ace) decides to donate their money from Vil to renovating Ramshackle Dorm Deuce says, “That money would go a long way for my family. But still…”
Vil tells him that no one should donate money just because they feel pressured to, and Deuce accepts the money, instead.
Deuce says Dylla used to grow herbs for cooking, but they wilted so often that it was actually cheaper to buy them.
Deuce says he wants to learn how to cook so that he can cook for his mother: “She’d always cook egg dishes for my birthday. And she’d make porridge when I was sick.” He also says that he would help her in the kitchen.
During Master Chef Deuce tells the chef ghost about how he learned that his mother had been sick only after she’d fully recovered, and he wishes that she would lean on him more when she is struggling: “So the next time I visit, I want to cook for her and show that l’m more dependable than ever!”
Dylla is a driver for White Rabbit Deliveries, a company that seems very reminiscent of Japan’s Yamato Transport, often referred to as “Black Cat” deliveries based upon their famous logo.
🐰 シロウサ宅急便 (white rabbit deliveries)
🐈⬛ クロネコ宅急便 (black cat deliveries)
The company is often parodied in media, and there was an official collaboration with idolish7.
Dylla says she loves “being behind the wheel of a big truck” and Deuce says he is surprised by how bad she is with tech considering how good of a driver she is.
Dylla explains, “I’ve always loved vehicles. I can drive pretty much anything. When I’m behind the wheel I can just sort of…feel my way through what I need to do. Like whatever I’m driving is an old friend. Appliances, though… So high and mighty. Always feels like they’re looking down their noses at you, right?”
Deuce says that he has always been the one to set up their appliances at home because his mother is not very tech-savvy, refusing to read instruction manuals, and over time he came to enjoy it.
Deuce says that people tend to mistake his enjoyment of tinkering for actual talent, to the point that others will go to him with their broken appliances.
Deuce gives the example of a time he “fixed” an old radio and cassette player in the Heartslabyul lounge by hitting it, which actually worked, and Cater saw it.
As a result, exaggerated rumors started going around that he knows how to fix machines, and now he regrets touching the cassette player at all.
We get an example of Dylla’s struggles with technology when Deuce asks her to take a picture of the White Rabbit Fes group on his camera, and she cannot figure out how to do so. Dylla says that Deuce always fixed their home appliances quickly when they broke down (Deuce: “All I did was replace the batteries”).
Deuce says, “I barely did anything…though this does make me wonder how you manage without me…”
During White Rabbit Fes the NRC students mistake the Hall of Records for Deuce’s home, with Deuce explaining that he actually lives in an apartment next door.
Deuce says that he used to go to Clock Town’s Rabbit National Park all the time before enrolling at NRC, hanging around with his friends until nightfall when the patrol would scold them.
Silver asks why he didn’t go home earlier if he knew he was going to get into trouble and Deuce explains that “being at home was kind of a drag” because his mother was there: “We didn’t see eye to eye in those days.”
Dylla says that she would bring Deuce to White Rabbit Fes every year “”until all of a sudden he decided he was too big to come with (her).”
Deuce responds, “It’s perfectly normal to age out of hanging out with your mom,” and Dylla says she was the same when she was a teenager.
Deuce says that his mom takes lots of pictures on her phone but back in his “rebellious years” he took all the framed pictures in his home an hid them in a closet.
Deuce is intent on becoming an honor student and mentions it often throughout the game.
We learn why in Book 1 when Deuce explains that he was “pretty wild” before enrolling at NRC, and one night he overheard his mother crying on the phone to his grandmother that she must be a horrible mom and should not have tried to raise him by herself.
Deuce says that when the carriage arrived to take him to NRC he decided that he wouldn’t do anything to make her cry and would become someone she could be proud of: an honor student.
Dylla calls Deuce at school during the Wish Upon a Star event and Deuce explains to Silver that, back when he was always getting into trouble, people stopped trusting him and started accusing of things that he didn’t actually have anything to do with, but his mother always believed him.
Dylla calls Deuce again at the conclusion of the event, telling Deuce that he doesn’t need to be so serious and she is very proud of him, which nearly makes Deuce cry: “One of these days, l’m gonna make my mom happy by making an even bigger wish come true.”
Deuce will often mention his mother in dialogue, asking the prefect to take pictures of him to send to her.
When Epel struggles to find a suitable souvenir for Vil, Deuce confers with Dylla, who recommends a fragrance.
When the students refuse to save Idia from Eliza, Ortho threatens to hack TV stations and remove any censoring from their faces on TV. Deuce reflects, “My mom would cry if she saw me on the news like that.”
When Deuce is expelled from NRC in the prologue for throwing Ace at a chandelier he begs Crowley for another chance, saying, “How am I going to tell my mother…?”
Deuce is unhappy about his mother asking his friends to work during White Rabbit Fes (Dylla: “Not even for a single measly hour? Just during the peak?”).
Dylla gets into trouble when local troublemakers accuse her of getting chocolate on their clothes and demand cash for dry cleaning, refusing to comply and saying that they got the chocolate on themselves.
Dylla’s coworkers warn her that they look dangerous but she refuses to stand down and the gang kicks her company’s stall, breaking part of a display and summoning Deuce.
Deuce is instantly ready to fight, but after seeing his mother he remembers that he swore to never act like his old self again and challenges the bullies to a foot race instead.
If Deuce’s team wins the troublemakers are to apologize to Dylla, but if they lose they are to pay 100,000 madol (1,000 thaumarks). Deuce at first refuses the bet but Dylla accepts on his behalf, saying that she can’t back down after Deuce and the others stood up for her and has a lot of faith in Deuce.
Dylla seems excited at the start of the race, saying that she had better “take lots of pictures to show Grandma!”
Deuce’s group wins the race, and afterwards Deuce says he will make sure to keep working hard so as not to ever let his mother down.
Dylla responds, “I appreciate it, but there’s no need to run yourself ragged on my account. Just keep living your life. Hang out with your friends, laugh, cry, be angry…and come home to visit every once in a while. That’s all I need!”
Recognizing Deuce as “the delinquent of legend” the main bully orders his gang to apologize to Dylla as they promised, and Dylla accepts, saying, “As long as you make sure no one gets hurt, do what you like, I say! Just keep that in mind.”
The leader sends his friends to clean up the White Rabbit Deliveries stall, “and after that, wrangle up some customers for ’em!”
Deuce speaks with an old neighbor who had, at first, refused to believe that Deuce has changed his ways. Later, however, they say that Dylla told them that Deuce is “really were tryin’ to turn over a new leaf,” and while they’d refused to believe her then, they were wrong.
There is a brief flashback of Dylla boasting about Deuce to her neighbor, telling them about Deuce’s track and field achievements, how he is working hard at his studies and even worrying about how she is doing.
Dylla says, “Feels like just yesterday he was cutting class and causing all sorts of trouble…I’m so glad
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 