#trey saying his dorm duo dialogue with cater and ace saying his battle lines?

[threeofclubss]

trey clover and responsibilities; a meta after his book 7 dream

[spoilers for jpn server book 7 content ahead!]

as the eldest brother trey has always been the 'responsible' one. but his wish is to live in peace, to never have expectations thrust onto him (hence his constant downplaying) but instead to use his passion and skill (baking), which is the one thing he doesn't downplay, to make the people around him happy. to see them smile while eating his food, to 'grow', for him to be able to see them enjoy themselves and for himself to do what he enjoys without restrictions. yet as cater reveals, not only did riddle freeze him out after his excitement (which as you can imagine, was painful for trey, as if the childhood scolding wasn't enough trauma. ESPECIALLY as he sees riddle as like a, to quote him, 'younger brother' thus 'his responsibility'), but he was voted for vice housewarden as a result. all these responsibilities and expectations were thrust upon him when all he ever wanted was for riddle to be 'free', for everyone to get along, for him to be useful to others. and so trey gets a first row seat to riddle and all his changes and his struggles and his anger, and he's forced to take a role and he ends up taking one of an enabler, someone passive. he ends up 'painting over it' and scrambling for a sense of normalcy amidst all this, and as vice housewarden the blanket of duty he feels heavily falls on him -- trey has always put importance on responsibility and his image, like when he talks about upperclassmen needing to set a good example for their juniors. and so he suppressed his own emotional turmoil and focused only on those around him, on sorting out trouble and pacifying riddle, while ignoring his own feelings on the matter and refusing to take a stand.

all this culminates into the overblot, and trey's book 7 dream with chenya as the dorm leader says it all -- trey wanted somebody to understand him. he wanted someone who knew he would have a tough time, who not just knew but understood his past with riddle and could help him through it, to not just alleviate him from responsibility but enable him to take a role where he thrives best. he needed somebody to rely on. for once, to not be the one being relied on. cater came the closest but cater also mentioned that he kept his distance (their friendship is a whole other can of worms) and trey isn't the type to confide, either. the 3 heartslabyul senpais are a concoction of things unsaid, and so comes ace and deuce and heartshackle to give it to them straight -- leading to the overblot, but also recovery. and so in the dream trey is once again, as leona aptly implied, putting himself in a position where 'he can help grant riddle's wish' or rather he can help riddle in finding freedom from his mother (in this case through sweets), in a bid to wrestle control where in reality he constantly felt helpless to say no or to stand up to riddle. and by thinking of it as something he can control, he indirect puts more responsibility onto himself in reality, despite never having wanted it. so he's stuck in this place where it's emphasised how in 'real life' trey has expectations and responsibilities he never wanted. he never got to have his peaceful life.

and in his dream, it's the exact opposite; the responsibilities he has are ones he chose/wants, and at the same time, he has his peaceful life. he makes those around him happy, and in turn, he is happy too.