"Yes." Hoshi smiled, "I only helped, but I did get a slice for you."
"Awesome! Bring it here!" The two wagged their tails eagerly as though they were canines.
Hoshi opened the box and set the slice down. They sniffed it and Mister Chipmunk daringly gave it a nibble before his ears perked up and he began stuffing his face with it.
Cater watched from afar with stunned silence. Due to his animal linguistic class, he knew a little bit Chipmunk language, but Hoshi wasn't even responding in the chipmunk's language and the chipmunks knew what she was saying even without the translation!
"It's throo good!" He muttered with a mouthful prompting his mate to scold him.
"What did I tell you about talking with your mouth full?!"
The chipmunk handed some of the cream to her after swallowing, "But, try it, dear! It's really good!"
"Hm..." She tasted it and nodded, "It does taste good."
"Please eat in moderation. I'd imagine you get a stomach ache later since you're stomach normally don't digest this." Hoshi warned them politely.
"Pretty sure they're not going to feel so well after this." Cater hesitated, "And there's no way chipmunks can store this without it going bad."
"That's why I tried to get the smaller piece." Hoshi replied with a dry smile.
"Is that a dare, I hear?" The chipmunk looked straight at him with an intense stare.
"Wh-What is it doing?" Cater was taken aback by how responsive the fella was, "I don't have any with me."
"He's asking if that's a dare." Hoshi explained hesitantly.
The chipmunk began examining the food before breaking off the crust and stuffing them into his cheek pouches!
"Oh no..." His mate muttered worriedly upon hearing this, "He's going to do something stupid again."
"Something stupid?" Hoshi raised a brow.
She watched as he begin to start storing parts of the crust as they watched. His mate scurried onto Hoshi's shoulder and sighed, "This is going to become a waste of good food. I'm terribly sorry, dearie."
"It's fine. I think... I think he'll realize this later. I just hope he doesn't get sick later." Hoshi whispered, "He's not... stubborn enough to insist on eating it if it does go bad, does he? I don't have anything of value to trade for a cure to food poisoning."
Instead of a proper reply, Hoshi could only hear a tired groan as they watched the chipmunk proudly chirp with his chest puffed out on top of the tree.
"Oh dear..." Hoshi whispered nervously realizing the silly chipmunk might do just that.
"I didn't think you knew animal linguistics." Cater spoke to her in surprise.
"Animal linguistics?" Hoshi tilted her head in confusion, "What's that?"
"Huh? You were talking with the chipmunks right?" Cater replied, "Animals normally don't under the human language. That's what animal linguistics classes are for."
"But, I don't speak chipmunk language." Hoshi shook her head hesitantly, "I had a headache today, so I had to sit out from gathering chestnuts. I was quite troubled for not being able to do anything and Mister chipmunk heard what happened. He and his wife helped me gather all those chestnuts with careful consideration to human cleanliness. I wouldn't have been able to contribute anything at all if not for their help."
"Oh, you give us too much credit." Missus chipmunk blushed, "My husband knows alot about food variety since he's been living here long before I had. However, that knowledge does comes with a flaw. He can be quite a handful, but he's also very amazing. I just wish he stops trying things he knows will make him feel awful."
"The food will go bad if it's not placed in a cold and clean place." Hoshi explained with a look of deep concern, "If the place is too wet and humid, it can also create mold. He'll definitely get a bad stomach ache when he eats that by tomorrow morning."
"I'll be sure to remember that." The chipmunk nodded, "Thank you, dear. Now, it's getting dark. You two children should hurry to someplace safe. Though I suppose you will be all right with two strong males next to you."
Two strong males?!
"You fool! Can't you have worded that better?! Humans have their own manners in speech too!" The wife swatted him over his ear making him duck with a pleading look. She turned to her and laughed awkwardly, "Please ignore this fool and make sure you return to your den before night falls. There are a lot more misfits in this place around this time."
Hoshi raised a brow in surprise but nodded, "Thanks. You two stay safe too!"
As Hoshi left them, she turned to Cater and raised a brow, "Senpai, just now..."
"Hm?" Cater raised a brow before he smiled, "Oh! Sure! I won't tell this to anyone-!"
"No, it's just..." Hoshi hesitated, "Just now, the chipmunks said there was another guy just now. They said it would be fine for my safety since there was two other guys accompanying me."
"Two?" Cater looked to her in surprise before hesitating, "Are you sure? After all, it's just the two of us here... Ah, wait. That just sounds dangerous. Hoshi? If there are others who offers to escort you around, remember to always decline and look for us instead. Even if this is a school, the kids here can be pretty impulsive."
Hoshi chuckled, "That sounds like you're trying to say you're the least impulsive one here after suddenly coming into the kitchen for a slice of tart."
"Ah... Well, you know! Trey's cakes are always good. Even the tarts tastes good!" Cater quickly covered it.
Hoshi laughed, but didn't say anything anymore. This school is turning out to be more fun than worrisome.
Though Cater changed the subject, he was also very concerned over the idea that there was someone else other than him escorting her. Was this girl more dangerous than he guessed? He really doesn't wanna be around this weird girl for longer than needed.
He hurriedly led her to the library. After letting her inside, he took out his magic pen. However just before he could cast his magic, he heard a footstep and froze in place as Hoshi's words echoed in his ears. Two other guys... Was there something following them, after all?! With his heart pounding, he slowly looked up only for his eyes to widen in surprise, "You-!"
.....
After she was in the library, Hoshi looked around curiously. As she looked around the aisles she noticed a ghost and quickly asked him a quesion. The ghost pointed nearby, "Go down that aisle and turn right."
She thanked him and hurried off. Surprised, the ghost murmured as he floated away, "What a nice kid. Maybe this year's new batch might actually be better mannered. Huh?"
He looked over to the double doors and tilted his head in confusion, "Did that door just open?"
He hesitated in thought before shrugging his shoulders and drifted away to the front desk.
Hoshi looked along the bookshelves. After a while, she finally finds the books that she needed and began to pull them out one by one. After bringing the books back to the table, she opened one of the book. The Era of the Queen of Hearts. A familiar image of the queen of heart appeared on the page. She recalled the sense of familiarity when she saw the statue and the scene of the poker cards. Was the two actually connected? Did it have anything to do with her?
As she read away book after book, the ghost from earlier drifted by and reminded her that it was nearing closing time. As she put back the stack of books one by one to its original location, she was about to leave through the double doors when a familiar face magically appeared inches away from her face. Surprised, Hoshi pulled back clumsily only for her hand to fly and hits the face with a resounding slap. The figure tumbled onto the ground head first as it grumbled painfully, "O-Ow...."
"Huh? This voice..." Hoshi looked down in bewilderment only for her to become surprised, "Aren't you... the kid from the orientation and cafeteria?"
"Hah?!" Lilia looked up whilst rubbing her red cheek in disbelief, "A kid? Me?"
"Are you not one?" Hoshi raised a brow in confusion, "But... Well..."
Lilia sighed as he got to his feet, "What is it?"
"You're quite... small... But, you talk big..." Hoshi hesitated, "Are you a dorm leader? I wonder why the others thought Riddle talks big? For a dorm leader, he's pretty normal aside from his sense of responsibility."
"Oh dear... Is this what they call a white lotus?" Lilia sighed.
"A white lotus?" Hoshi looked to him in confusion yet feeling rather insulted for unknown reason, "What does that mean? I take it it's not actually a lotus flower... Right?"
Lilia looked rather disheartened and annoyed, "Now you're just making me sad purpose."
"Pardon me." The ghost drifted towards them, "The library is closing right now. I will have to ask you to leave."
"Oh! Sorry. Come on, Lilia. Let's go!" Hoshi responded as she hurriedly pushed the 'small boy' out of the library with her.
Once out, she looked around in confusion, "Huh? Where's Cater?"
"Cater? He had to go back to his dorm. He asked me to escort you back home." Lilia replied.
Right after he told her not to trust others?!
Flabbergasted by this, Hoshi sighed, "He just told you to escort me back? But... I was told not to trust anyone I'm not familiar with."
"Seriously?! Am I really not trustworthy to you?" Lilia sighed before he remembered something, "Though I can take you back to-"
"I guess I'll have to go home on my own." Hoshi shook her head in disappointment and made her way through the hallway.
Lilia was left stunned as he was left with his jaw drop. Was he just ignored and not even given an apology for the slap?! He's never felt this upset and annoyed in a long time and was left bewildered, "This year's newcomer is quite interesting... and rather troublesome... Will Sebek be all right?"