Kat sighed heavily, putting down the whisk and stepping back from the counter as she took her glasses off.

The steam from the cooling pot of chestnuts, milk and sugar had fogged them up something fierce... Well, she was done, anyway. The pot of chestnuts was now a smooth, light brown puree. Cleaning her glasses on her hoodie, she put them back on, looking around at the others.

"Ugh!" Wiping his brow on his forearm, Ace threw down his whisk. "There! We just pureed every last stupid chestnut!"

Deuce groaned, leaning against the counter and rotating his arm at the shoulder. "My arm is killing me..."

With a chuckle, Trey walked over, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "Nice job, you two," he smiled, giving them both a friendly slap on the back. "I'm sure it'll taste even better thanks to all your hard work!"

"Mwaah..." Grim approached one of the bowls of chestnut paste, like a cartoon character floating on the scent of pie. "Man, just the smell already seems like it'd be enough to fill my stomach..."

"HEY," Kat scolded, jumping over and grabbing him. "Don't get your fire-cat drool in the puree!"

"Awww..." Grim's ears drooped, and he grumbled. "You're no fun..."

Trey laughed again, draping the dish cloth over his shoulder and picking up his own pot. "Hey, it's not even done yet," he scolded lightly.

Grabbing a spatula, he moved across the kitchen, where a clean mixing bowl and a few packages of ingredients lay waiting. "How 'bout I let you have a taste once we're done adding the rest of the ingredients, okay?"

"Myah?!" Grim perked up eagerly. "Really?!"

"The vice-housewarden beamed. "Of course! And you three, too, of course... But only a spoonful each, and you all have to use different spoons. And wash your hands again afterwards."

With that, he started transferring the puree to the bowl, scraping the sides of the pot with the spatula.

Ace perked up as well, picking up his own pot and moving over to Trey. "Hey, sure thing!" He said, looking around at the ingredients. "So, what ARE the final ingredients, anyway?"

"Just butter," Trey replied, busying himself with retrieving the correct packages. "Oh, and I can't forget my secret ingredient-- oyster sauce."

With a flourish, he put a thin glass bottle down on the counter with a clank.

Ace and Deuce jumped in unison, looking shocked. "Oyster sauce?!" They demanded, drawing back.

Trey nodded. "Yep, that's right-- see, the umami of the oysters give the cream a really rich, savory flavor." He picked up the bottle again.

"My personal favorite is this one here-- Walrus Brand's Young Oyster Sauce!" He gestured to the bottle like a beauty guru showing off a product. "All the famous patissieres use it in their tarts, too. You didn't know that?"

"R-Really?" Deuce mused, putting a hand to his chin. "I didn't... But, wouldn't it come out way too salty? Since the sauce is so salty, I mean..."

Ace frowned, rubbing his head. "But-- I mean... People put chocolate in curry an' stuff, right? Maybe it works the other way around, too?"

Kat frowned as well.

She was actually a bit of a hobby baker herself-- nowhere near Trey's level, though. She mostly just stuck to modifying store-bought mixes and dough, but... That didn't sound correct. Like, at all.

Before she could say anything, Trey made a sound like a cough.

Then he snickered.

Then he burst into a full-fledged fit of laughter, pounding his fist against the counter as his shoulders shook. "Pfft-- AHAHAHA! C'mon, guys, I was obviously lying!" He choked, straightening up a little bit and wiping some tears of mirth from his eye. "I mean, you'd have to be a total insane person to put oyster sauce in sweets, right?!"

Ah. Called it.

Ace spluttered. "WHAT?! S-So YOU were just messin' with us, too?!"

Trey snorted with laughter again. "Hahaha-- I mean, if you'd just thought about it a little more, you'd have figured out how ridiculous it was!"

Crossing his arms, he gave Ace and Deuce a playfully stern look. "Let this be a lesson to you two, okay? Don't believe everything you hear. And be sure to think things over carefully for yourselves, you got that?"

Kat snorted, putting her fist to her mouth and turning her head. In her arms, Grim scoffed, folding his front legs. "Huh. An' here I thought we'd finally found a nice guy at this school... How can he lie so easily with such a friendly look on his face?"

"Aw, come on," Kat grinned, stroking his head a little. "It wasn't anything mean... Honestly, that was some peak dad joke energy, I like it!"

Trey grinned at her. "Thanks, Prefect!"

He nodded towards a drawer. "Clean spoons are in there-- have 'em ready, okay? But remember, only one small spoonful per person."

"YEAH!" Grim cheered, jumping out of Kat's arms and skittering over to the drawer indicated. "Chestnut heaven, here I come!"

"Grim, it's only a sampling," she laughed, following him. "Here, I'll get your spoon for you, okay?"

She opened the drawer, taking two spoons for herself and Grim. Grabbing two more, she held them out for Ace and Deuce, who were coming over.

"Thanks, Kat!" Ace smiled, taking his spoon and twirling it in his fingers like Cater with his pen.

"Thanks," Deuce agreed, nodding as he took his.

"No problem," she replied, strolling over to Trey and putting hers and Grim's spoons down on the counter. "Do you want one too, Trey? I mean, you are the one making it..."

Trey shrugged. "Nah, I'm fine," he replied, unwrapping the stick of butter and taking off a large chunk with the spatula. "It won't be a minute, okay? Then you guys can add the butter to your own portions."

"Yep," she agreed, nodding and propping her elbows on the counter, watching him fold in the butter. Grim clambered up her back, laying over her shoulder and watching as well, licking his lips.

Kat smirked, reaching over and lightly booping him on the snoot.

"HEY!" He complained, shaking his head. "What was that for?!"

She snorted quietly, grinning. "Sorry, sorry... Couldn't resist."

Trey tapped the spatula on the rim of the bowl, smiling. "Okay, the butter's done... Got your spoons ready?"

"Yes, sir," she chirped, giving a two-fingered salute and picking up the spoons.

Trey gave her the go-ahead nod, and she scooped up a small portion of puree, holding it out to Grim.

"Wow, THANKS!" He enthused, taking it eagerly and licking his whiskers. "Smells great... Mmm!"

With that, he shoved the spoon in his mouth, making loud sounds of delight.

Kat snorted quietly, shaking her head. "Thanks again, Trey," she said, taking her own small scoop and sticking the tip of the spoon into her mouth.

"Mmm...!" She raised her eyebrows in surprise, licking her lips. "Wow, this IS good!"

She'd never actually had chestnuts before... At least, she was pretty sure she hadn't. It was a rich, nutty taste a little like hazelnut, but more buttery... Whether that was the actual nature of the nut itself, or the big lump of butter Trey had added to it, she couldn't tell.

Ace and Deuce came over too, taking their own spoonfuls and sticking them in their mouths.

"Mmm!" Deuce said, eyes widening. "Wow-- okay, senpai, this is great!"

"Sure is!" Ace agreed, slightly muffled with the spoon still in his mouth. "Man, if the dorm head doesn't appreciate these tarts, there's something REALLY wrong with his head!"

"Hey, come on, no need for that," Trey chided lightly. "Riddle's really not all that bad, you know? And I'm sure he'll appreciate these-- don't worry, Ace."

He looked around at the others, hands on his hips. "Okay-- everybody finish their samples?" He asked, and Kat nodded, licking her spoon clean.

"I am," she said, looking over at Grim, still on her shoulder. "How 'bout you?"

Grim licked his own spoon furiously, then smacked his lips. "Yeah," he sighed regretfully, dropping the spoon into her hand.

She smiled, ruffling his head and walking over to the sink, dropping both spoons in with a clink.

Turning on the faucet, she washed her hands again. Then she pulled Grim off her shoulder, holding him up under the armpits. "Okay, your turn."

He rolled his eyes, tail flicking. "Okay, okay..." He washed his paws, grumbling quietly.

Deuce and Ace came over, dropping their own spoons in the sink and standing behind her, waiting their turn.

Putting Grim back up on her shoulder, she stepped to the side, nodding to them.

"Thanks, Pre-K!" Ace grinned, elbowing Deuce out of the way as he started to step forward.

"HEY!" Deuce protested, but Ace turned the faucet on higher. He started humming loudly and theatrically as he scrubbed his hands.

Deuce and Kat caught each other's gaze, both rolling their eyes in unison.

After Ace finally gave Deuce a chance to wash his hands as well, they grabbed their individual pots of puree. Going back over to Trey, they transferred them to bowls as well, waiting with spatulas in hand.

"Here you go," the upperclassman smiled, depositing a portion of butter into each bowl. "The butter's nice and soft, so it shouldn't be too hard to mix... Just fold it in until it's all combined, okay?"

"Yep!" Kat nodded, running her spatula around the edge of the bowl and starting to mix. Ace and Deuce did the same, more stiffly than her, but still putting in a good effort nonetheless.

Trey whistled appreciatively as he came over, looking over her shoulder. "Hey, not bad, Prefect!" He said. "You do any baking?"

She grinned, looking over her shoulder at him. "Yeah, actually! Oh-- I'm not as good as you, though. Plus, I usually just stick to modifying baking mixes and stuff..."

Trey laughed, nodding. "Ah, I see," he said. "Well, as long as you're having fun... Plus, it's pretty hard to actually make a 'bad' cake as long as you follow all the instructions, so there's that, too."

She grinned, tapping the spatula on the rim of the bowl and starting to fold in the opposite direction. "Yep," she agreed. "I mean, cake's cake, you know? Even if it doesn't come out looking great."

The butter was mixed in fairly quickly, and Trey clapped his hands in a small round of applause, looking around. "Okay, good job, everyone!" He announced, smiling. "Alright, next is the cream..."

Walking over to the fridge, he pulled it open. Reaching in, he pulled out a large metal bowl with a container of heavy cream in it.

He picked up the container of cream, then frowned. Looking over his shoulder at the bowls on the counter, he did some quick mental calculations.

Then he sighed. Shutting the fridge, he put the bowl down on the counter, ruffling his hair worriedly.

Ace blinked, looking over at him. "What's up?"

Trey sighed again, putting down the container too. "You guys might've gone overboard with the chestnut-gathering... There's too much marron paste, and I don't have enough cream for it."

"Oh-- then I'll go buy some," Deuce volunteered. "Do they sell it at the school store?"

"Really?" Trey asked, looking over at him. "Well, that store sells pretty much everything, so... Probably, yeah. Would it be okay if you picked up a few other things for me, while you're at it?"

"Sure," Deuce nodded, smiling. "What do you need, Senpai?"

"Thanks," Trey smiled. "Let's see... I need two pints of milk, two cartons of eggs, some muffin liners, five cans of fruit cocktail..."

"H-Hang on," Deuce said, raising his hands. "Can you write all that down?"

"I got it," Kat piped up. Jogging across the kitchen, she picked up her schoolbag, then pulled out a notebook and pencil. "Can you run through that again, Trey?"

After she'd written it all down, she ripped the page out carefully, walking over and handing it to Deuce. He scanned it, frowning. "I don't think I'll be able to carry all this on my own," he muttered. "Hey, Ace, can you--"

"I'll go with you," Kat interrupted.

He looked at her, surprised. "Really?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, no problem! I kind of wanna see more of the campus anyway, but I don't wanna just wander around by myself."

"Oh," he said, blinking. "O-Okay, then... Thanks!"

"Then I'm comin' too!" Grim piped up, scurrying over to her. "I'm startin' to get dizzy from all this stirrin'..."

Kat snorted again, rolling her eyes. "Like you were doing much of the stirring to begin with," she said.

"HEY!" He protested.

"Here," Trey said, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out a brown wallet. "I've got some madol in there, that should be enough... And if it's not, just tell the shopkeeper to put it on my tab, okay? He knows I'm good for it."

"Are you sure?" Deuce asked, looking worried. "I could just--"

"Come on, come on, I'm not gonna take your pocket money," Trey interrupted, rolling his eyes with a smile. "I'm the one who needs the stuff, so I'm not gonna make you pay for it, okay?"

"Right!" Deuce agreed, nodding again and taking the wallet. "Thanks, Clover-senpai! You ready, Kat?"

"After you," she smiled, untying her hoodie from around her waist and pulling it back on. Turning around, she walked backwards for a few steps, looking back at Grim. "You comin', little man?" She called.

"FNYAGH!" He yelped, scrambling to catch up with them. "N-No fair! Wait for me, you guys!"

The school store was a small, cottage-like building standing next to the library. It was made of red brick, with a peaked roof. It had a small lawn with a dead, twisted tree on it.

There were lots of... Things... Scattered, or arranged haphazardly, around the path and by the front door. She saw a tall chunk of crystals, a bunch of empty glass jars, some kind of tribal shields... Even some small wooden figures in grass skirts, sitting in a ragged line.

Grim shuddered, pressing close to her ankles as she and Deuce ascended the steps. "Th-This place is kinda creepy," he muttered, looking around nervously.

Kat shrugged. "It's better than our dorm, that's for damn sure," she replied.

Bending down, she scooped him up as Deuce opened the door. The sound of bells rang out somewhere in the back, and he held the door open for her.

"Thanks!" She smiled, ducking in and looking around. "Wow..."

When she heard 'school store', she wasn't really imagining anything like... This.

It had a dusty, hodgepodge feeling like an old, out-of-the-way antique shop. It also seemed a little bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside, and there was stuff everywhere.

Deuce came in after her, letting the door swing shut with another jingle of bells. "Excuse me!" He called politely, craning his neck to peer around the shadowy interior. "Is there any-- whoa..." His jaw dropped open. "This shop is wild..."

"No kidding," Kat agreed. She stepped forward, peering at a jumble of objects on a small table nearby.

Deuce started wandering around, looking befuddledly at the miscellaneous things. Presumably they were for sale, but none of them had any labels or price tags. "What is all this?" He continued out loud, squinting. "Crystal skulls, grimoires and spellbooks, taxidermied... Um... S-Something?"

Grim, still in her arms, breathed out, gaping around with almost the same expression as Deuce. "D'ya really think they sell cream at a place like this?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Well, we have to ask anyway," she replied, pausing to look at something dangling on the wall.

"Hey, my little stray imps! And how are we doing this fine day?"

Kat jumped, she and Grim squeaking in unison.

Turning, she blinked into a friendly grin. The owner of said grin was a young, lithe black man, with one hand on his hip and the other at the brim of his patched top hat.

He wore a deep burgundy suit jacket, bright magenta waistcoat, and a black apron around his waist, like the ones waiters used.

His hat was about the same height as Crowley's, but with more of a flared top, giving it a whimsical look. And 'patched' was a little bit of an understatement... In fact, it looked like two hats cut up and stitched back together. It had a red band around the base, like a pirate's scarf, pinned with a cartoonish skull ornament that looked to be carved out of actual bone.

And the bone motifs didn't stop there, either. His waistcoat actually had a ribcage pattern on it, but not only that...

She couldn't tell whether it was makeup or tattoos, but he had white patterns on his skin. It looked like-- well, it looked like bones.. Simplistic vertebrae down his neck, and thick white lines down both sides of his forearms, with angular crescents of the same white on his cheekbones.

"U-Um... Hi?" She ventured.

"Hi!" He echoed, taking the hat off as he swept a bow. He had a mop of short black-and-purple locs swept rakishly to the side, shaved close on the sides and back.

Straightening back up, he tossed his hat from one white-gloved hand to the other, replacing it on his head at a jaunty angle. "Welcome to Mr. S's Mystery Shop!"

He winked, flashing an even more brilliant grin at her. "And what in my humble little storefront may I assist you with today, hmm?"

"Um," she tried again, looking over at Deuce for help.

The man was continuing, though, like he couldn't even hear her. "A talisman from a far-off, unknown land?" With a flourish, he pulled some kind of pendulum or pendant out of his jacket. Before she could get a good look at it, it was gone.

"The mummified remains of an ancient ruler?" With another flourish, something dangled from his hand-- Jesus Christ, was that a shrunken head?? Just as quickly, it vanished.

"Or possibly even..." With another sly wink, he twisted his wrist. A handful of purple-and-gold cards appeared, fanning out in his hand. "...A cursed tarot card?"

With another twist, the cards vanished, and he spread his hands, grin still firmly on his face. "Whatever your wayward little hearts desire, I personally guarantee that anything and everything is...IN STOCK NOW!"

.

Author's Notes:

SAM IS HERE SAM IS HERE SAM IS HERE SAM IS HERE.

As promised, I have returned his bones. His description is a little long, but to be fair there's a lot to describe, especially with the bones.

We all know Riddle will... NOT appreciate the tarts. Alas.