Alright so I teased them in my Fool's Fate post talking about the different Dark Worlds and secret bosses of Fool's Fate, but here's the actual ref post of the little bun-bun bynuy Cherutti. My friend @mrchaosman did make me diner secret boss before I even knew I wanted to have Chapter 4 of Fool's Fate in the diner, but I think i can better utilize Flamy else where in the chapter. Likely as one of the main bosses, which represent the tarot card of The Lovers.
So instead of Flamy, I made Cherutti. I had maybe a very basic concept, but I mostly came up with them in a day while on call with a friend on Discord while doing dishes. The part I ended up having the most struggle with when it came to her was her colors. (Well, perhaps until I have to write up their backstory.)
Cherutti's name is a combination of cherub, and putti, the plural of putto, or the little winged babies we often think of as cherubs that are seen in Renaissance art. (Fun fact, putti representing Cupid are called amorini!) Additionally, the way Cherutti's name is combined also sounds like "charity". Their last name is just a bastardization of "recipe".
I haven't thought of a text quirk for Cherutti, but I do know they'd use the orange soul mode, which I imagine would let the player run through and break attacks. Perhaps for a text quirk, Cherutti could talk in the bullet points of a recipe? Idk, I'm open to suggestions.
Cherutti is based on a damaged recipe card, likely a recipe for some sort of cake or confection considering they're from the a dark world set in the diner and their chapter would take place around Valentine's day in universe.
Backstory under the cut
Cherutti didn't used to be anything special. They were just another Resepi. A dime a dozen type of Darkner who would fly around the Diner World and deliver instructions for different kind of dishes and desserts the other Darkners would make as offerings to the Lightners. They were messengers, and Cherutti was just one in a crowd of dozens. She didn't even get to deliver the instructions to anything all that important. Just a tiny little dessert that barely anyone ordered.
Cherutti was fine with this though. They didn't need to be anyone special or do anything important. She was just happy to do her job. Though, every now and again they might've felt a slight jealously towards their fellow Resepies, they tried not to let it get to them. Instead just focusing on her job, delivering instructions whenever called upon.
One day though, Cherutti ran into a... strange someone. A man who offered Cherutti an offer that any Resepi would be a fool to refuse. The man offered to help her get on the Specials Menu. The Specials Menu was a big deal. It was where the cream of the crop offerings were displayed. A place were a Lightner could notice and decide to try out even the tiniest little dessert like Cherutti was in charge of. The smallest Resepies would be lucky to even get their offering on the daily part of the Specials Menu, with even that rotating spot getting swapped around between the more popular Resepies and their menu items. The place the man offered Cherutti would be a much, MUCH more permanent one though.
Cherutti accepted the man's offer, and at first everything seemed to be going great. It started with helping them improve the recipe instructions they were meant to deliver. An edit here and there to improve the formula and ensure more Lightners ordered it. Nothing to outrageous. Even the most popular Resepies' recipes would get little edits either to improve the dish or substitute ingredients. Then the man helped Cherutti get a daily spot on the Specials Menu, a small honor a small little Darkner like themself never even dreamed they'd achieve. Even if it was short lived, Cherutti felt on top of the world. they'd finally had a taste of richest cream this world had to offer.
And they needed more.
The next step of the man's plan required patience. He'd help Cherutti get on the daily spot of the Specials Menu a few more times before finally helping them onto a more permanent spot on that list. The problem with that was Cherutti was a very fast and brash Resepi. Even if she was humble and accepted her place before, her recipe was quick and easy, having little prep time. And now that they'd had a taste of greatness, Cherutti didn't want to wait any longer than they needed to. Additionally, the man had also revealed a great truth to Cherutti during this time. Both as a courtesy he gave all his followers, but also to try and tide the impatient Darkner over as he continued with his plan.
This only drove Cherutti's hunger further.
Even as Cherutti got on the Daily Specials more and more thanks to the man's help, they didn't want to wait for the profits the man promised would come eventually. In their impatience, they started to tweak their recipe more and more. Making even more edits, ones which often confused the Darkners meant to follow the instructions they were delivering. Their brash confidence and speed caused them to let letters get splashed or damaged as they found themself getting called upon more and more. Delivering instructions that with bleeding ink, half scribbled words, and torn edges. Cherutti barely even noticed the man had long since abandoned her at this point.
The turning point came when Cherutti got fed up by some workers who complained about not being able to read or understand the instructions she had delivered. Cherutti's offering had been requested and ordered about a dozen times by now, couldn't they memorize it? Fine, she'd show them how it was done. If Cherutti had to rely on others who were so incompetent, then they may as well do it themself! However what Cherutti didn't realize was such brashness would be their ultimate downfall.
Cherutti ended up falling into the fire they had tried to throw the cake into, damaging not only them, but their recipe as well. At this point, there was no way anyone could read the instructions on their little card, and everyone doubted what use a burnt Resepi could contribute. Cherutti's desert was only permanently banned from the Daily Specials, but also removed from the menu entirely and Cherutti herself was cast out. Forced to spend the rest of her days among the soot and ash, still scheming their eventual rise back onto that coveted Specials Menu.
That is until, a puppet and his friends find their way into the diner world during the loveliest time of the season.
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Hoo boy! I came up with most of that on the spot and worried it was sounding too much like Spamton's at first but eventually I think I steered it into something of its own! Originally I think I was just gonna have Cherutti get forgotten in the recipe box as the rest of the Resepies were moved to a cook book but I like this little story of impatience and self destruction more.
I've already got an idea for the next Fool's Fate secret boss, I just need to draw him. I might hold off on them for now though so I can make something for Grimm's Chaos Clash using my Studio Dark World. We'll see. I might just end up using the takes-no-guff journalist to kooky krazy wizard for that. Doggone could work for the tourney, right?
I'll likely go with the studio one. Just need to come up with an item to base off first...
