Ramshackle's New Student

Chapter 8: The Heart Of Ramshackle

Reaching the kitchen, it's still pretty early in the day. The kitchen staff are working on their dishes for the school's breakfast bar. When you arrive, a ghost phases through you and Cable with a large tray of food raised over your heads. Cable doesn't think he'll ever really get used to ghosts phasing through his body.

One of the nearby kitchen staff is human. It's a man with a cream-colored top, black pants, and a chef's hat. He wears a bright red tie and has a mustache. His chef's coat has the name 'Louie' stitched into it. He's singing about everything he's doing as he cooks, and he keeps slipping in and out of French as he does.

When he sees your trio at the door, he begins frantically trying to shoo you away. "Oh no no no- You cannot be in here!" As he does, he's holding a very large cleaver knife in hand. Cable immediately turns to leave, but you stand your ground.

"I need to speak with the head chef here?"

The man pauses and blinks. "Can this wait until the preparations for breakfast are done?"

You nod. You do, after all, have the whole day to accomplish this.

Chef Louie continues shooing you out the door. "Come back when breakfast is being served, then!"

You lead Cable and Grim back out to the main area of the lunch room. You three wait there until the students begin piling in and lining up. You three get some funny looks as you're looming near the entrance to the kitchen.

Riddle has arrived promptly as the breakfast lines are starting to form. Seeing you, which is typically unusual in the mornings, he comes over to check on you. "Something special happening?" He glances over your group, realizing that you've brought back-up. Which usually heralds something troublesome. ".. Or is something about to happen..?"

Trouble does seem to follow you, after all.

"Nah, nah. Nothing so exciting. Just gotta do a job for Leona." You shrug. Cable yawns, and Riddle glances between the two of you now.

"Has your student been getting enough sleep?"

You look to Cable with genuine concern. ".. Have you?"

Cable nods. He's not been holding back. If he hadn't been okay to leave the house today, he wouldn't have. "Just sleepy. We did get up really early today.."

Riddle raises an eyebrow at you. This is your first time being in charge of students, and one of them was already sick. "Just be certain that you're taking good care of your students, ___."

You nod, showing Riddle that you're taking his input seriously. "I promise, I will always put my students' well-beings above all else."

Riddle smiles with your words. He knows you're a trustworthy person. He also knows how easy it is to fall short when you're a leader, and how easy it is to forget that people can't always keep up with you. He walks off to join the lines.

Cable can't help but feel a little weird about that interaction, though. One yawn, and someone thought you were neglecting him? Having only two students really does make it seem like every little snafu is your fault. He sees the subtle way your shoulders sink down when Riddle leaves. How you turn to him.

"You'll let me know if you're too tired, yeah? Sunny got sick because he wasn't communicating." Your voice is tired. It must be exhausting always having to prove yourself repeatedly to the same people.

"Of course, Housewarden. I promise. It's my responsibility to communicate with you, and I will take that responsibility very seriously." Cable doesn't want you to have to worry about him. In fact, he finds it insulting to a degree, the idea that just because he isn't a housewarden, he's expected to be irresponsible?