"Aaahahahaha~! Ish not truuue~! B-but... Thank you for the compliment!" Ryoki regards Shou with an innocent smile that seemed almost fake, given her earlier attitude. Though it wouldn't take one of much brainpower to process the fact that Ryoki's mood had changed because she'd gulped down that last bit of her Long Island...

... And it was starting to take effect...

As he further complimented her, Ryoki grinned and a lightish red blush made it's way to her face, though whether this was a side-effect of the alcohol or Shou's compliments was a mystery. As he pleads with her, however, her whole being seems to radiate melancholy. "Oh... S-sorry... I'm not annoying you, am I? I was very annoying back in high school... God, that was Hell. What's a pretty little rich girl to do when all her friends just want a piece of her family's wealth? It's not right... I need another drink..."

She seems pouty, though Oliver's comment seems to snap her right out of it. Unfortunately, it might not have been the side of Ryoki they were wanting or expecting.

Well, Shou, at least.

"Come now... Oliver, was it? We're all adults here, we can use bigger, more descriptive words when talking about that." She giggles and quickly changes seats so she was now sitting directly on Shou's lap, which was receiving more than adequate stimulation as she wriggled, oh-so slightly. Certain body parts grew dangerously close to other certain body parts, and Ryoki was all-too-aware of it.

She was about to continue by flirting with the three of them, though Yutaro brought up the prospect of work... She wasn't a fan of "working", however she was a fan of having fun. And since this new job seemed so, so promising, she knew she had to be a good little girl, at least for the time being. She leans forward, paying close attention to Yutaro as he spoke (accidentally almost giving him an eyeful) and more likely than not making Shou feel rather uncomfortable... Or not. It all depended on how he felt, after all.

She almost seems to have sobered up, like the whole childish attitude were nothing more than a persona.

"Yaaaaaay~! Bunny guuuurl!"

... Well, almost.

"But more importantly," she adds, taking Yutaro's hand in her own, "you just want to have some fun with two hot bunny girls, don't you~?" It appears Devil-Ryoki had returned... "It's OK, you don't need to lie to me...~!" She giggles and so, so gently releases his hand from her tender grip, straightening up and stretching. She really was an outgoing woman. "What's a girl to do, being forced to decide on whom to better acquaint herself out of three handsome gentlemen?" Ryoki asks rhetorically, smiling at Oliver and Yutaro. "It's a bit difficult, trying to find the perfect balance."

---

"Yaaaaaay~! Sanwhich! Oops! I meant s-an-d-wich. Sandwich!"

Although a little energetic, Sabine seemed to be doing relatively fine emotionally. Not freaking out, not tripping on anything... At least, not yet. As Nori toys with her hair, Sabine appears to enjoy the gentle caress as she combs her hand through, giggling to herself.

"I'm having a good time! Well, sorta. I don't know. Everything is sort of... there... Does that make sense? Nah. Probably doesn't."

Once again, her speech is accelerated, though as she continues to speak, she seems to... lose her touch. "It's strange - I'm not sure how to feel. But I guess that's what this stuff does to you~! Don't do dru-, ooh, ice! Aaaaaaaahn~!"

With a playful chomp that was much gentler than expected, Sabine enveloped her mouth around Nori's index finger and thumb before...bobbing her head and swirling her tongue. A suck brought the ice cube away from Nori's fingers as Sabine pulled her lips away, leaving a rope of saliva between her lips and Nori's finger. She then crunched the ice down faster than expected, or as expected, considering she was all drugged up. If it weren't already obvious, then it definitely was now; she'd really been craving a drink and a certain someone...

"D-did you say something? I can't quite tell with the music so loud..."

Her eyes were focused on Zac for a few moments, however soon darted all about the room. It was almost like she were... searching for something.

"H-hey, is it starting to feel hot in h-here? I-it's hot, right? Whoa! Look at all the colours at the dance floor! ...I'm dizzy..."

As though on cue, her head bobs about a little, like a zombie or someone who really needed sleep, before suddenly snapping back to full alert. "Wait! Never mind! I'm back! All good!"

... Then, not even a second later...

... darkness...

Sabine's head tilted Nori's way, and the bread of the "Sabine Sandwich" could see her eyes weren't focused at all. Her whole body was practically limp, and she wasn't responding to any more external stimuli as she just slumped onto Nori's lap, quietly breathing in peace.

Too peacefully.

Sabine had blacked out; more likely, she had OD'd and was getting hit by the effects pretty hard.

@Daxam@Narcotic Dollie

Collaboration with @Chicogal and @Knight of Doom

“Shall we?” Copen asked.

"Sure," Amaya responded, shrugging her shoulders. She followed behind the blond male as they made their way towards the mystery girl's spot. It seemed as though she was doing homework out here. Why someone would want to do homework in the freezing cold was beyond the brown eyed girl. She prefered to do it at a desk, usually in a place that's well lit too. However, her thoughts were inturrupted by the exchange.

Ah, so he would be joined by Amaya. Copen was glad. He hadn't spent time with girls in this way for a long time. It felt a little... innocent. To each their own, and he was interested to see how this night would go. Although, if he was honest with himself, he preferred the atmosphere of the busy clubs and bars. Especially bars. And especially-especially bars where he could impress girls by drinking other guys under the table. He considered it a skill of his; he'd drank a Czech guy under the table once.

He leaned forward to take a thermos, the warmth of the flask welcome in comparison to the cold of night. He took a sip; not too bad. A little sweet for him, though. It would be improved with a shot of vodka or something... But he just wrapped his long fingers around the flask and smiled at the girl who'd provided it for them. It had been unusually kind of her, and he didn't even know her name.

"So. Let's start with you telling me your name. I'm Copen, and this is Amaya," he explained, jerking his head in Amaya's direction.

Kyle was actually finding it even more difficult to cross back to the bar area than having left it. Whoever was up there onstage was seriously rocking it, to the point that everyone on the dance floor was just jumping up or head banging to the music... "Ok seriously, that's inappropriate." well almost everyone was rocking out. Shielding his eyes he was finally able to burst his way through the crowd and did a light jog up the stairs to the bar, looking over at the booth he saw Zac and Nori...concernedly looking down at...oh no.

Hustling to the booth, he began to speak up, "Guys, is she-," reaching the booth he could see her limp form across Nori's lap, it was shifting up and down so that meant she was breathing, exhaling just a little he knew his work wasn't finished. "Ok, I got David to have an ambulance pull around to the exit here," he said pointing to the exit just next to the bar, "Zac, carry Sabine, we're gonna meet up with the EMTs outside."

After successfully sliding Sabine off of Nori's person, Zac managed to get her in his arms and Kyle pioneered the way, opening the exit to allow Zac out, and with Nori following close behind, Kyle was the last out the door. Just as the four of them exited the building into the alleyway, an ambulance had already begun pulling back into it. They jogged to the vehicle, the doors opened and an EMT came out, ready to take Sabine from Zac's hands, when he insisted he ride along with her, the paramedics gave no objection and Kyle simply gave an affirmative nod, internally wishing them both luck tonight. Kyle and Nori watched as the ambulance pulled away, sirens blaring into the night and suddenly...silence, it felt odd, to be surrounded by so many noises, voices, intense moments and then just...nothing.

Exhaling, Kyle suddenly felt very tired and began backing into the brick wall of Club LUSH, his back gently touched the cool bricks and his whole body slumped down into a sitting position. His right arm rested on his knee, his other hand cupped over his eyes, hiding from the world for just a brief moment, taking in everything that just happened in the last 20-30 minutes. Between losing his phone, getting into the club, Nori getting a drink thrown at her, and Sabine tweaking out on gods knows what, tonight might have been more than just... a little crazy. Dragging his hand across his face, he brought it back up and ran it through his hair, it was then he started noticing the small goosebumps forming on his sleeveless arms. It was cold out, but he didn't care, it was hot in the club and considering what he, Nori and Zac just experienced, he could probably stand to cool off.

"Now," he began, looking up at Nori, "I think they'll be ok." Kyle smiled at her a very tired smile, "What about you? Are you going to be alright?"

Zac was already standing, pulling Sabine into his arms before Kyle even said anything to him. Feeling the woman's body in his arms, he realizes just how warm she felt. Damn, he thinks as he follows Kyle and Nori. She's worse off than I thought...and I thought she was pretty bad than to begin with!

He was too focused on the woman, limp in his arms, to realize they made it to the ambulance. Looking up at the EMT offering to take Sabine from him, he suddenly feels an inexplicable protective surge. However, he manages to shake it off and hands Sabine to the EMT, asking if he could ride along.

The EMT agrees and Zac hops in the back of the ambulance. The doors shut and the ambulance, sirens wailing, speeds down the street. The entire time, Zac's focus never shifts from Sabine, as if worried something terrible would happen if he looked away. The EMT notices this and asks, "How long have you two been together?"

Hearing this, Zac's face flushes. Chuckling sheepishly, he says, "Actually, we just met tonight."

The EMT chuckles, but says nothing more. A few minutes later, they arrive at the hospital, where Zac spends the next couple of hours in the waiting room. When he was finally allowed into Sabine's room, he took a seat next to her bed with a sigh. After a few minutes, he attempts to sleep, but, after half an hour of failing at that, he asks a visiting nurse for paper. When she hands it to him, he begins to work on folding paper cranes, a skill he had learned when he realized it could improve his hand-eye-coordination, thus improving his sleight of hand. He also remembered something about paper cranes being used to wish happiness and good health for others. What better time to make these? he thinks with a quiet chuckle.

Zac lays a hand over Nori’s free one while telling her to calm down and it grounds her for a moment, but then Sabine sucks the ice cube down along with the DJ’s fingers and Nori panics because she’s half certain the other girl is going to bite her.

She doesn’t, thank God. Instead, Sabine is surprisingly gentle, sucking at the blonde’s fingers and laving them with small, kitten licks. After a second or two she pulls off with a loud ‘pop’, a string of spit connecting them briefly before it breaks away. In any other instance it would have been sexy, but right now Sabine is pale and her eyes look dazed, like she doesn’t know what’s happening to her anymore. She murmurs something Nori can’t make out over Ryva’s song, before swaying once and going completely limp, collapsing into the DJ’s lap.

The feeling of dread builds and begins to form knots in her stomach as Nori looks down at where Sabine is splayed across her lap, the other girl’s eyes barely opened and still just as unfocused before. "Guys, is she-," Kyle starts to ask and Nori hadn’t even realized he had made it back. He goes on to say more but the blonde doesn’t register it, too focused on helping arrange the unconscious girl so she can be carried by Zac.

The rest is a blur. One minute they're in the club, the next Sabine is being hastily loaded into the ambulance with Zac climbing in after her. The second the doors shut the vehicle speeds away, sirens shrieking into the night. 'I won't even know if she makes it,' Nori thought, wringing her hands as she stares off in the direction the ambulance went.

"Now," Nori hears Kyle say, so she turns around to face him. "I think they'll be ok. What about you? Are you going to be alright?" The blue eyed man asks, slumped over against the wall with a worn out expression on his face.

"M'fine," she lies, taking advantage of his position by muscling her way in so she's standing between his legs. "You did so good," Nori tells him, running her hands up and down Kyle's arms and pressing their foreheads together gently, letting her lips quirk up into an small, appreciative smile. "Thank you," she said in a hushed tone before finally bringing her arms up to hug Kyle, adjusting so she could press her face into the crook of his neck. "Thank you," she says again, her breath huffing across his collarbone.

@Daxam@Verdaux@BeastofDestiny

Warm. He wasn't hot from the events, or cold from the weather, he just felt warm, glowy even. She found her way into his arms, embracing him in a tight hug and thanking him. Her face retreated into his neck and her breath sent small shivers up his spine, but he didn't blush and time didn't feel real. To Kyle, it just felt like the two of them in this small personal bubble, together and separate from the world and it was like his exhaustion just washed away.

"Thank you.

Appreciation, given in such a simple phrasing and yet with enough emotion and meaning, can have such a sigficant impact. "Anytime," he smiled softly, his own arms had already snaked around her and his cheek rested against her head, he raised his hand and gently stroked her hair, "You did a good job too you know." He didn't know why, but now his heart was beginning to race, maybe it was this girl pressed so close to him, the gentle appreciation in her voice, her scent slowly filling his senses. "Hey...Nori, um, I..." she lifted her head up from the crook of his neck and their eyes met. She had that same look in them, that sunset, but it felt fiery and it almost felt directed at him, like she...

Maybe he was just tired, amped up on the nights events still or maybe there was this insanely beautiful woman gazing at him like no one else had, but he had the terrible urge to just... Suddenly, without hesitation, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her for only a moment before pulling back to meet her gaze once more with a flushed face.

@Narcotic Dollie

"H-hanky...panky?" Shou huffed, shooting a glance at his friend. Before he could say much more, the increasingly intoxicated raven haired woman shuffled closer and closer, until she literally was sitting on the man's lap.
...and she...wasn't staying very still.

O-oh...god.

He grimaced against the feeling she brought on. As much as he wanted to ride above that, he knew, as well as any biologist knew, that all he was was a man.
"No...thank you." he yelped back at his old friend, shifting uncomfortably in his stool, that suddenly seemed incredibly tiny. He felt her weight shift as he leaned over to talk to the dealer, and breathed a tiny sigh of relief as the weight shifted away from...well...

"It...sounds like a good time." he murmured, half to the people at the table and half into his drink, gulping down the remaining beverage in his shaking hands. "I'll...leave you two to it, then..."

Silently, he thanked the dealer for the release, and for the first time in the evening, he put his hands on the woman's waist. They trailed lower, slightly, to her hips, and he lifted her up with the gentle strength (as possible, though his hands were still trembling) of a man carrying something incredibly delicate. Fighting the urge to pull her to him again, the...stimulation leaving him breathless without a doubt, and evidently wanting, something told him that it was not tonight.
It must not have been the right time.

Boom.

A distant clap of thunder only served to strengthen this belief.

"Forgive me, Miss Mochizukki, and..." he gazed over at the dealer, still having not caught his name. He did offer the man a nervous smile, cheeks still flushed and his body warm. "I...I don't have much else I can lose, hah. Luck with gambling has never been on my side. Fortunately, however, I've had the good luck to meet you, Miss Mochizukki, and a dealer no less charming. Thank you, for...teaching me a new game, tonight. I might...stop by again."
His sentences were disjointed and forced, words slurring into each other, and as he used his hands on the woman's hips to manoeuvre her, the silver haired man slipping out of the chair on shaky legs, and placing the delicate young lady back where he was just sitting, he bowed his head to the couple, innocent and nervous still, but at least he still had his head.

...the slight bulge in his trousers told a different story, along with one of his fists balled hard, so the nails pressed into his palm. He exhaled shallowly, before wrapping the scarf he wore a little more tightly around his neck. Unfortunately, on attempting to walk, well...

"S-shit." he swore under his breath. His head was light from standing up after so long sitting down and his vision was bleary. This often happened to our beloved biology professor, though he hated it incredibly much. The momentary incapacitation when standing up suddenly...

"O-Ollie..." he stuttered, his words breathy and him using a hand against the table to steady himself.

"...can I ask you to...take me home? The old Ford's out...by the parking lot. Believe it or not...I still stay where we used to, hah. Just on the outskirts of the main city."

He paused, placing a shaking hand on his friend's shoulder. "...you've been gone for four years. I think there's a lot to...talk about."

@Delta44
@Takashi
@Bozo


Time Skip to later at night! (Write up your final posts before wrapping up for the evening. It will be ~3 am. Note, there's a storm coming, with rain and thunder and lightning. Keep safe!)

“You did a good job too you know." Kyle informs and with her face pressed into his neck like this, Nori can feel his pulse speed up. "Hey...Nori, um, I..." the boy stutters, and Nori pulls back so she can see his face. He has this heated sort of look in his eyes that usually only means one thing, so Nori has a second to hope her lips aren’t too chapped or anything before he leans down for their first kiss. It only lasts a second before it’s over and then Kyle is pulling back to study her, that damn blush creeping up his neck and making her what to swallow him whole.

“Oh no, cowboy,” Nori scolds, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him back down to her, “We can do better than that.” The blonde gives his bottom lip a quick nip before she slots their mouths together for a second round of kissing and is pleasantly surprised to find he tastes like the hazelnut liqueur from his earlier drink. Her fingers rake down the front of him before they stop to hook through his belt loops so she can drag him as close as possible.

By the time she’s done with him, his lips are swollen and bruised in a way that makes it obvious what they’ve been up to. By the way Nori’s are thrumming, she’s pretty sure her mouth looks the same. “That’s better,” the blonde hums, giving Kyle another quick peck just because she can. “Now,” she continues, clearing her throat and pulling away from his arms. “I have work at the flower shop in the morning, so I need to head back,” the DJ says a little regretfully. “Did you want to share a cab?”

They go back in so Nori can grab her stuff and then they leave through the front, the coat room attendant handing them their jackets on the way out. Nori had called the cab service earlier so one is waiting for them when they make it to the street, and the long haired girl ushers Kyle in before piling in after him. They give the driver their addresses and he gives a gruff, “Alright” before pulling away from the curb.

They arrive at Nori’s apartment first and the cabbie clears his throat loudly, because Nori has half crawled into Kyle’s lap and is in the middle of actively trying to maul him. “Sorry,” she apologizes quickly, sliding back over to her seat and pulling out her wallet so she can pay him. “Thanks for coming to see me tonight,” Nori says to Kyle, leaning over to give him one last kiss. “I’ll see you around, right?”

Nori gets out of the car and closes the door, watching as the vehicle pulls away and starts down the street. The girl presses her fingers to her lips and smiles, giggling a little before a flash of lighting and a crack of thunder jolt her from her thoughts. “Jesus,” she grumbles under her breath, before turning and hurrying over to her front door, unlocking it briskly and stepping inside before kicking the door shut behind her with a soft 'click'.

@BeastofDestiny

@Daxam

Sabine finally woke, though he may not have noticed until the hospital bed whirred as she pressed the elevate button on the bed. With a smile completely opposite her personality not a couple of hours ago, she rested her eyes on the ever-diligent Zac.

"...aw...it's raining now? Just when the party was getting started..."

Sabine sighed as she looked at her hospital gown.

"...I thought I could get back into the habit scott-free, but...I guess drugs are a no-no from now on, huh...? And...Zac, who took my clothes? I don't exhibition, so uh...hehe, call a nurse, please.

Before you go...u-um...thanks. I'm betting you, Kyle, Nori...you guys called for an ambulance, right? Thank you..."

In reality, she was so very, very ashamed of herself. But she couldn't cry in front of Zac; then he'd try to be someone to lean on, and then...

...I guess he's kinda cute, but...

...she couldn't risk messing up some guy's life for her tough drama. Withdrawal symptoms weren't so bad, at least. By morning, she could get back cold-turkey without a care in the world...unless someone inclined to care.

Zac had been so absorbed in his work on the cranes that he hadn't noticed it had begun to rain. But, the second he heard the motors whir inside of the bed, he looks up to see Sabine slowly raising on her bed. He takes a few moments to finish his twentieth crane, setting the small bird on the tray next to the bed, then leans forward to listen to Sabine.

Hearing her ask him to call a nurse, he chuckles and stands, only to look back down at her as she thanks him for the ambulance. Smiling down at the girl, he says, "Hey, we weren't about to let you die on us." After a moment, he sighs and sits back down. After taking a moment to look at the twenty cranes he folded, he looks back to Sabine and asks, "You feeling alright? You don't feel sick or groggy or weak in general?"

In truth, Zac felt awful. He was the last one with Sabine before she went upstairs, where...whatever happened, happened. He blamed himself for what happened. If he had tried harder to follow her, or even tried to keep her from going up at all, she wouldn't have OD'd and she wouldn't be in the hospital, now. That was the most prevalent thought in his head while he was making the cranes.

"So. Let's start with you telling me your name. I'm Copen, and this is Amaya."

"Tomoko. Kimura Tomoko," Tomoko answered, taking another sip from her own drink as her new company also took to theirs. Generally, even during a conversation like this, she would be thinking at a mile per minute about playstyles, strategies, matchups, and more for any number of games she played. However, that was precisely the reason she chose to work out here to begin with. None of that stuff was here to distract her. Just a girl, some homework, and a frigid night. Of course, now there was another girl and a boy as well. Tomoko took a brief moment to write down the answers to the last few problems on her homework before stuffing that paper as well into her backpack where it belonged.

Now that she had company, she may as well get to know them a bit better. Copen and Amaya, was it? So the boy wasn't from around here then. Initiating conversation wasn't really Tomoko's strong point. She'd ask something about games, and there was always that chance that either these two weren't gamers, or they were very strictly casual players. Casuals were always people Tomoko had a tough time with; she just couldn't see eye to eye with them. So what else would she ask about? Glancing at her surroundings to find an answer, her eyes stopped on her backpack. Right. This was Shine City, and the city was full of students. It was possible that these two didn't attend school, but also possible they did. Tomoko decided to just roll with that chance.

"The two of you are also students, right?"
@Chicogal@Knight of Doom

Copen lay leisurely, stretched out like a lion. He propped himself up on his elbows, legs crossed one over the other with his back closest to the floor. When he deigned to take a sip, he simply leaned entirely on the one elbow. It was his own little system of laziness. He was a man of leisure, and it showed a lot in his ways. He put his cocoa on the ground, fiddling with the thermos' cup. The winter wind was cold on his wet shirt, but he wasn't bothered to go and change. If he unbuttoned it a little, it'd look slightly sleazy, but at least the stain wouldn't show anymore. That'd be the plan if he ended up going out tonight.

Copen shook his head at Tomoko's question. "I was, but not anymore. I studied Japanese in Denmark." He took another sip from his thermos. "I work in a Danish restaurant now, serving. I don't really know what to do with my life," he admitted with a shrug. He knew he was loud and cheerful and congenial, but what could he do with that? The Dane fell quiet as he waited for the others to speak.

"The two of you are also students, right?" Tomoko asked.

Copen made himself right at home despite the unfriendly temperature. "I was, but not anymore. I studied Japanese in Denmark." Oh? Denmark? Amaya had heard that Denmark was a beautiful place and that it was the happiest country, but her source wasn't exactly reliable. Still, the blond hadn't done much traveling in her youth, and would one day like to go all over the world. However, as of now, school was sucking up all her funds. "I work in a Danish restaurant now, serving. I don't really know what to do with my life," Copen admitted after taking a sip from the thermos the brown haired girl had so generously offered.

"I'm a student," Amaya followed up. "I'm currently major in biomedical engineering, and minoring in psychology." A gust of freezing wind blew past causing her to pull the jacket tighter around herself. "I also work at the Tiny Snowflake as a waitress."

Speaking of which... The blond took out her smartphone to check the time. Her eyes went wide when she realized that it was getting late. "Ah, it's getting late. I need to get back to my dorm soon. I have work tomorrow morning, so I need to get to bed." Amaya shrugged the jacket that Copen had lended her and gave it back to him. "Here you go, I'll be able to make it back home without it. Nice, meeting you both. Bye!" She waved before turning her back and walking away.

Since it was winter, the sky was dark at this time of night. However, there was a weird lightness behind the grey clouds that the college student had always associated with a storm. Looks like getting to work tomorrow would be a hassle.

A low pitched growl reminded Amaya that she hadn't eaten since that morning. Picking up the pace, she decided to eat an apple when she got back. One technically shouldn't eat right before going to bed, but the starving girl decided that it wouldn't matter too much if it was just an apple. Especially since it takes up more calories to eat and digest it than what's contained in the fruit itself.

When Amaya reached her dorm, Rachel was asleep, so she silently snuck in and ate before doing her normal bedtime routine. It had been a long day, so it didn't take long for her to pass out once tucked into bed.

That was enough gambling for one night.

Oliver yawned, standing up and stretching before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. "Both of you made this an enjoyable experience," He told the Dealer and the (Bunny) Waitress. "Here, six thousand yen for each of you." He placed the money on the table, turning to his friend and nodding. "I'll get you home, Shou." He glanced up and stared at Ryoki, before shooting a playful grin as she lamented on having to choose between three 'handsome' gentlemen. "While I find that humorous, you won't have to worry about me. Work tends to get in the way. Relationships are overrated anyway."

Draping the professor's arm over his shoulder, he turned to the raven-haired dame. "If you need a ride home miss, then I can give you a card for a 24/7 cab service. Or, if you don't have a problem, you can hitch a ride with me after I drop this," He gestured to Shou, "Guy off at his place."

The duo of friends then stumbled into the parking lot, Oliver looking for his friend's Ford before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth in annoyance. "Damn it, he always parks near the back. We'll take my car. I don't have work tomorrow so I can always walk back here in the morning and drive his car back to his place. After all, the Academy isn't open on Sundays."

With his free hand, he pressed the button on his keys, the lights of his Bentley coming to life through the darkness. He helped the Professor in, before climbing into the driver's seat and starting the car. He would wait for five minutes, then if Ryoki didn't show up, he would leave her. Cruel? He didn't think so.

The distant roar of rolling thunder made him shudder.

Unpleasant memories...

This wasn't the first time Oliver and Shou sat in a vehicle with nothing but the rain drowning out their thoughts.

The last time was four years ago...in a squad car.

------------------------
The Weatherman.
-------------------------

He watched as the crimson tail lights of the taxi faded into the evening mist that started to drift upon the road, a loud crack of thunder followed by the onset of the light shower of rain. He gripped the handle of his tool of trade tightly.

The storm was brewing...it would get worse.

It always got worse.

Which was better for him.

The flower shop was dimly lit on the outside, a single streetlamp being the only terms of visibility that revealed the entrance. Dark windows devoid of any light were draped off by curtains, signaling that whoever lived there were either asleep or away. It had been so long since he last satisfied his urges. They wouldn't go away.

Rubber gloves squeaked as his grip grew tighter.

And he didn't want them to.

With an audible, heavy step, he watched as the flaxen-haired DJ began walking to the entrance of the store.

He followed.

The thunder masked his steps.

The poor lady was fumbling with her keys.

Closer.

A few more steps and it would be all over.

Was she having trouble?

Closer.

Oh, how her small little breaths were adorable.

But he liked it better when they weren't breathing.

His fingers reached out for her hair, just brushing by his fingertips until the door was slammed by a kick, jamming the first digits of his fingers into the rest of his hand. A soft click immediately followed, barring his would-be victim from entry in tonight's game. Lucky...LUCKY...​LUCKY​ LUCKY LUCKY​!!! WHAT FUN, WHAT FUN! I'll be ECSTATIC when I rip your tongue right through your neck...you girls LOVE necklaces, right? RIGHT?

With a groan of frustration, he turned and slammed the sledgehammer into the wall next to him, a sizeable chunk of concrete breaking off from the wall before being strewn across the entrance.

The bitch smashed his fingers in. She would pay...they always did.

A tear in the gloves allowed the blood to trickle down from his finger tips, falling upon the floor with a soft pit pat.

Slowly, he reached up to the door, and drawing in his own wet blood...

TOMORROW.

A flash of lighting.

Gone.

"I'm dead... I can't even make it back to my feet." Iruka complained to herself as she dropped down over a make-up stool on the lockers and leaned her weight against the drawer in front her. "How can someone wear these things for so long and still walk as if it was nothing?" As she said so, Iruka took the heels that had been torturing her ever since she began her shift. The poor girl's legs were killing her, though when she took off the tips that she had really no other way to store other than inside her suit (as most of the other waitresses did), Iruka couldn't help but grin.

It had been a torturing experience, thanks God the rest of the staff and some of the patrons she served had been really kind to her, and so "Let's see... forty six... forty seven... forty eight five hundred and sixty? I can't believe I got so much money in a few hours."

"Ahh~ you ain't half-bad, Iruka-chan. After you get the hang of it, you'll make a killing every night." Said Evangeline (A.K.A. Eva), one of the senior waitresses that worked with Iruka as she fanned herself it a stack of bills that was about twice as large as the one Iruka was so glad about a few seconds ago. "You can't avoid the old geezers just because they are creepy, they're as good as walking ATMs. You just need to learn how to milk the cash cow."

"Indeed, Iruka-chan, you're the cuttest thing around. Stick with us tomorrow and we will show you how to make even more money." Now, was the turn of Laura, the German beauty that worked here pretty much because she found the job fun. "And if someone try anything you don't like, don't be afraid to give them a good slap. Remember them that the rules here are 'Look, don't touch'!" Laura flexed her arm, before flashing a confident grin towards Iruka, who smiled shyly in return.

"Just beware when you that, some of the old geezers really like kinky stuff like that." Eva gave a quick slap on Iruka's rear, to cheer her up.

"Gah!" Iruka almost jumped out of her stool when she felt it, however she was so spent that even the very intrusive move wasn't enough to force her up "E- Eva-san, what was that for?" Iruka's eyes darted around skittishly and her face reddened visibly.

"For you to cheer up, we're a family now, you can't go around like that." Eva pulled Iruka by the shoulders and kind of pressed the younger waitress against her weapon grade boobs.

"Mmm! Mmm!" Iruka squirmed around trying to get some air, and even then, despite Eva's gentle but brute way, Iruka didn't felt like panicking. Falling unconscious because of the lack of air was a completely different thing, however.

"Wha!?" Iruka's salvation came when someone whacked the back of Eva's head with a rolled magazine, producing a characteristic thud.

"Stop teasing the newbie, Eva. Do you want her to get scared and quit on her first night?" Said the last member of their team, the ever so wise and respected by all, Miss Yumeno, right after she finished a glass of Scotch in one go. Miss Yumeno then, refilled the glass and add some fresh ice, before placing it besides Iruka's sprawled frame. "Go on, your legs must be killing you, right? This will make you feel better."

"Bu... but," Iruka tried to tell them that she never had even a single drop of alcohol before, but her naivete and doormat tendencies won over when Laura and Eva began to 'cheer' her, after the curvy Brazilian caught the drift of Iruka's behavior.



Moments later...

"Oh yeah, Devil Yumeno strikes again! After all your talk about not teasing the newbie, you did something way more evil." Eva commented after the all had ended changing into their casual clothing, hers being a pair of skinny jeans, white sweater and a coat that would make one feel like sweating on the middle of the Siberian winter, along with a quite sturdy pair of mountaineering boots. Over all, it really looked like the curvy Brazilian hated the cold weather.

"Indeed, look at the poor thing, she barely can stand. Though I have to give in to her, Iruka-chan has some serious guts, even if she doesn't realize it." Laura said as she closed her own locker. The German beauty was wearing a racing bodysuit, sexy, form fitting orange and red leather that hugged her curves just perfectly. She had the top unzipped all the way to her waist, thought revealing a red sweater and the hints of a skinny jeans as well.

"Indeed, most girls give up before even wearing the cloth" Miss Yumeno spoke of their bunny suits with a solemnity that made them look like a nun's habit. To say the truth, they required about as much commitment to wear. Just as much as wearing Miss Yumeno's, a black dress and a light coat, with not even the least bit protection against the cold. Not that it was any problem, since Miss Yumeno wasn't going to have a cold night, to begin with...

"Anyway, things are going to get fun around here. See ya later, girls!" Laura picked her helmet and went to the parking lot. A minute later the powerful roar of Laura's racing bike disappearing in the distance was a proof that she had gone.

"I guess I'll go home and hit the hay as well. Night, Yumeno!" Eva was the next one, tough her exit was much less dramatic than Laura's since the redhead went home by taxi.

"In the end it's always just me, huh?" Miss Yumeno said after lighting a cigarette, and taking a deep drag. "Ha, kids these days!"

---

@Takashi@Delta44

"You just want to have some fun with two hot bunny girls, don't you~?"

Well, she had him there. Yutaro rubbed the back of his head and gave a small chuckle as a faint blush crept into his cheeks; it was hard to keep his cool with the not-so-implausible fantasy of being accompanied by those two women in bunny suits, a timid New Girl on his left and a giddy-yet-sexy Ryoki on his right. “Heh,” he replied, somehow managing to compose himself before a goofy grin could grow on his face. “Tell you what, if you don’t make me admit that, I won’t make you admit that you just want a job here so you get to see me every day.” Just because she had him at a disadvantage, it didn’t mean he would go down without a fight.

For reasons that Yutaro couldn’t understand, the professor seemed grateful for his intervention, and oh-so-delicately removed Ryoki from his lap. Maybe he was a married man, reckless enough to squander his family’s money on gambling, but not so far gone that he would cheat on his wife; he seemed to be old enough for that anyway. Either way, the professor clearly wasn’t making himself out to be a rival -- a rival? Jesus, did he think he was in a manga or something -- so the pangs of jealousy subsided. “You can call me Yutaro,” he said, the pleasant chime back in his tone. “And have a good night professor. Try to make it home without getting attacked by any more pretty girls.” He gave a laugh after that last tease and waited for the new girl so he could take them to see the boss.

In the meantime, he had the wonderful Miss Ryoki to contend with, though she didn’t seem as enthusiastic as before. “And there they go… One man innocent, the other so caught up in his work and logical nature he won’t even attempt to have fun… Well, it was worth a shot, at least.” Ryoki takes a deep sigh, before looking up at Yutaro. “And of course, there’s my perfect partner. Who’s to say I’m not just wanting to work here to see you?” Leaning forward, she cocks an eyebrow, giving one of those looks again. “Or maybe… I just want you to see me~?”

Yutaro smirked at that remark. “Well, whichever it is, it doesn’t sound like a bad deal for either of us?” Although she was leaning forward again, Ryoki had already given the dealer quite a few glimpses of her assets, so Yutaro was actually able to keep steady eye contact this time around.

Ryoki couldn’t help but giggle to herself; Perhaps the alcohol is starting to wane? She thought, the idea of getting another drink bouncing around in her head like a fireball. “I have to agree - that sounds like fun~! Unfortunately, I don’t have a suit of my own yet, though, so sorry~!” In the end, reason manages to take hold, and she stops herself from ordering another drink. It was probably best to sober up when meeting who would be your new boss, after all…

… Probably…

Puckering her lips, she takes a brief look at the time on her phone. ‘Damn, it’s late… I wonder if Mokyu would still be willing to play some games till morning?’ She smiles to herself at the thought of her innocent and cute younger sister. Mokyu was an absolute blessing for Ryoki, as was Kimasu. They were both amazing younger siblings and she loved them more than life itself, which was a strange paradox once she thought about it, because life was the reason they were here. Unless, of course, they were somehow dea-

Ryoki’s train of thought is obliterated there, and a sickening feeling begins to form in her stomach. ‘N-no, don’t think about it, Ryoki. Happy thoughts!’ On the outside, Yutaro could note she looked pained for a moment, though immediately started smiling a second later. Any questions directed to her wellbeing would be replied to as “I’m fine,” “It’s nothing,” or something of similar nature.



Right about this time, Iruka would finally arrive from the lockers, by now she was wearing a much more modest outfit, a simple knee-length light-pink dress, over a black pantyhose and pair of simple sneakers. All in all, she looked like the perfect image of a simpleminded girl, considering that she didn’t even had any make-up on her, the only eye-catching item she wore was golden bow, to hold her long hair in place.

However, there was something... different about Iruka now. She was walking with pained steps, as if her legs were killing her, also there was something about how Iruka looked that was very strange. Her eyes were kind of glassy and unfocused as she approached them, though this one was easily figurable when she bowed and said “Go- good evening. I ho- hope I haven’t made you wait too much,” since Iruka’s breath kind of had a trace of alcohol to it, and not any alcohol at that but a good and pure Scotch. Actually, her face was all flushed and kinda… sexy like that, not resembling the stuck up girl that she usually is in the least bit, no doubt it had been the work of someone else.

Yutaro’s attention was ripped away from Ryoki as the new girl waddled towards them, clearly not on sturdy legs. He had seen enough stumbling drunks to know what happened, and he knew the gals well enough to figure how it happened. “Yumeno…” he mumbled, shaking his head as he came out from behind the table to assist the new girl before she hurt herself. “Don’t worry, the shift only just ended,” he said in his usual bright voice, not even hinting at the fact that she was drunk lest she raise objections to that undeniable fact. “Here, why don’t you sit down for a minute and take a breather.” He pulled out a stool, and held out his arm to guide her lest the alcohol suggest an alternate course.

“Huh!?” Iruka got kind of surprised when Yutaro took her by hand and helped her to a seat, surprisingly enough, she didn’t feel like panicking around, instead a deeper shade of red colored her cheeks. “Tha... thank you,” Iruka chirped in a cheery voice, “but I’m al… I’m fine.” That she was not and it was way too evident when she couldn’t even spell a word longer than four letters, or by the way how she slouched over the table. Iruka let out a content sigh as she felt the pleasant sensation of her burning cheeks against the cool felt.

The raven whom she sat beside was staring at her again, though this time in a significantly less creepy way and with much more… curiosity than anything. Her eyes glide all over the young girl’s new outfit, wondering just where she got those clothes from, before remembering people usually didn’t go out clad in a bunny suit in public.

“Aww, no more bunny suit?” She asks, though she certainly didn’t sound nor seem disappointed. If anything, it sounds as though she were teasing her, though given Ryoki’s nature, that likely wasn’t what she was going for… Well, it depends on the type of teasing. She could quite clearly make out the fact that young Iruka had been either drugged or was a little drunk, given the way her body slowly swayed and seemed to dip downward, as though she were going to collapse and fall asleep. “You OK, dear? You don’t look like you’re in a great state.” Ryoki herself was still vaguely feeling the effects of her drink, though her buzz was quickly dying. It was more so the boys than the alcohol that made her so joyous. After all, she wasn’t really flirtatious with girls, unless it happened to be someone of particular interest.

No, Kaori didn’t count - she was an innocent and delicate little flower that could only be plucked by Ryoki herself. Although… the bunny girl was certainly tempting…

’Bah! Not right now! She’s practically wasted!’ The dark haired mistress with the crystal blue eyes thought to herself. Honestly she wasn’t sure what to feel. This whole ordeal at the casino has had her mind and emotions all over the place. It was exhausting…

She holds out a hand and gently holds on to Iruka’s shoulder, just in case. She didn’t want her falling off the stool, after all. “You know, you kind of remind me of my little sister!” She chuckles, attempting to help Iruka feel more… happy, for lack of a better word.

“Oh… I… do have a big sis… sister,” Iruka said quite innocently, it seemed that the alcohol had already robbed her of the ability to properly follow a conversation, even so she continued “but… but she ain’t beaut… bea… pretty like you, or cool… as in really cool.” Iruka turned her face to look at Ryoki and gave the older girl... woman a wry, but sincere smile. It was the most she could do while completely sloshed, really. To ask more of her would be evil, specially after all she had gone through tonight.

Sympathy welled up in Yutaro’s heart as he saw that poor drunken mess rubbing her face against the table. At least she was a friendly drunk, quite a sweetheart really, but he couldn’t just leave her sprawled out on the table like that with customers around. “Well you’re pretty cool yourself,” Yutaro said, trying to say something agreeable that would still get her attention, but then he realized that he didn’t even know her name. He could use that to distract her while he led them to the back room. There, he could let the new girl sober up a bit while introducing Ryoki to the boss; two birds with one stone.

“Alright,” he said, trying to ease her off of the stool, trusting in the fact that if she made it this far she could hopefully make it to the back without toppling over. “Let’s go somewhere a bit more comfy, shall we?” As he began to guide Iruka away from the table and towards the back of the casino, he gave a gesture with his head for Ryoki to follow; at least she could control herself even when drinking. “By the way, my name is Yutaro,” he said, providing the distraction just when a drunk would normally object to being moved. “What’s yours?”

Iruka looked up when Yutaro called her cool, with eyes that remembered a kitten who had a catnip high, to say the truth, it was almost like she was about to cry. When was it the last time someone said that she was cool?

Never, probably.

She got up leaning pretty heavily on him, though even then Iruka’s feet betrayed her and she almost dragged both of them to the ground. Had it happened, it would’ve been quite a sight, even if it was a bit of an improper one. But really, who could resist the urge of at least smirking when presented with such an impromptu comedy.

”Point the first finger who has never gone drunk.” Miss Yumeno said a bit earlier, after managing to get Iruka in such a state, with a smile in her shapely lips.

“Com… fy? But I like here, it’s so cool and soft.” Iruka complained, but followed Yutaro to the back, though a different emotion was showing on her face, now. Was it a mix of embarrassment and… fear? Obviously she was misunderstanding the situation kinda badly. Despite that, Iruka wasn’t in a state where she could resist, and when Yutaro introduced himself, she replied smiling “Ah… Yu-chan? The girls talked ab… about you, they said you were a be… beast. Yo… you aren’t going to do any… thing to me, wight?” Anyway, as they were about to get there Iruka said “I’m Iru..ka?”

There came this strange feeling of energy from behind the two of them as they walked, and it didn’t take much to figure out it was Ryoki. She was muttering something under her breath, and was breathing heavily, as drool began to slip from her mouth. Though it might cause alarm to those who were witnessing it for the first time, in all actuality she was fine.

She was just having one of those moments again; what most people would call “fantasising”.

Yutaro gave a laugh as Iruka questioned his intentions as he wondered what exactly Yumeno had told this poor girl on her first day here. She was definitely cute, and if she were in the right state of mind he’d consider teasing her a bit, but he was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a girl who couldn’t hold her liquor. “It’s nice to meet you, Iru,” he said...

Ryoki was muttering under her breath, “Damn lucky little bastard gets to hold her like that when she’s so innocent and cute and adorable!” She was so quiet the two could only pick out a few exaggerated words whenever she spoke. “She’s just like Kaori, but-”

Yutaro continued, “But you don’t have to worry. I won’t do anything. Not to you anyway.” He glanced over his shoulder.

Ryoki gasped.

“Nooooooooooooooooooo!” She exclaims as she falls to her knees, sulking in misery. “I’ve thought of someone other than my cute little Kaori!” She cries. Guess the childhood version of her was back, or so it would seem.

Yutaro stopped dead in his tracks, keeping a firm grip on Iruka to make sure she didn’t continue forward and stumble about in autopilot. “Ah… Ryoki, are you…” He was stunned and all he could do was stare and blink. He could handle people stumbling around drunk, but this? He didn’t even know what this was!

Well, This was actually a regular mood in which she often found herself in, and generally didn’t last long. Though that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for those she was with, nor any less dramatic. Seriously, it was almost like seeing an actor who’d betrayed their loved one in a movie. She looks up at the two with eyes filled with tears, and an unnatural feeling of overwhelming sadness coating her very being. It was kind of like looking at a sad, young puppy that had been abandoned on the streets - eyes filled with hope and, at the same time, hurt.

Though of course, in Ryoki’s case this hurt was little more than a mood swing caused by her obsession of the young musician she had lessons with on Sundays. Once again, she began talking to herself, still not realising the amount of attention she may or may not be receiving from the general public around them. “It’s OK, Ryoki, you’ll get to see her tomorrow. You can make it up to her then, so for now, it’s OK to have just a little bit of an active mental state, right…?” As though only just realising that the world around her existed, she looks at Yutaro, then at Iruka, then at the people around them, before saying: “S-so, Iru-chan, Y-Yutaro, how about we get going to the back room, yeah?” She asks in an embarrassed tone, before briskly walking ahead towards said area.

’God, I hate myself… Kill me now… NO, don’t really do that…’

Yutaro wasn’t sure what he witnessed, but it seemed to be over. “Umm… yea. Back room. This way…” He made sure that Iruka was on steady feet once again before continuing through a door guarded by security. He flashed his ID card as a formality -- all the guards knew him by now -- and led them into a hallway where the velvet carpet ended and the florescent lights began. He wasn’t sure if now would be a could time to tease Ryoki, but with an opening like that, how could he resist? “Soo… this Kaori. Should I be jealous?”

Ryoki mumbles something or another to herself, rocking on her feet after a momentary pause. She looks somewhat like some kind of shy little kid who didn’t have much social experience. Guess that was part of the effect alcohol had on her - it made Ryoki rather emotional. Well, if emotions could be listed as having MPD.

“She’s, uh… very cute…” Ryoki admits, keeping herself composed for her own sake. “I-I suppose you could be, ehehe..!” She laughs nervously, scratching the back of her head with a faint blush on her face. “S-sorry… I tend to do that sometimes. Usually not in public, though…”

As soon as they arrived in the back room, Iruka sprawled herself over a couch and hugged one of the cushions, rubbing her face against the cool fabric and giggling to whatever alcohol induced dream she was having, as the words that left her lips revealed “Mmm… no, I don’t wan… wanna any more, I’m so full…” At that moment the young woman looked as defenseless as one can be, completely disregarding the rest of the world as she tossed and turned on the improptu bed while chewing the cushion. Actually it was a good thing that Iruka was wearing a thick pantyhose, proper for the wintery weather, or else she would be giving a free glance of her underwear to anyone who wanted to see it.

In the middle of her tossing, Iruka let her purse fall and it opened as it hitting floor, splashing her little and simple belonging everywhere. Among the list of things that any woman would prefer to die, before revealing to someone else, and the money she managed to earn tonight, there was also Iruka’s student ID, and her dorm keys, which was information enough to help her get back home.

Ryoki squats down and takes the items which had fallen before returning them to their original state within her purse, or at least she put them back in there. Of course, she didn’t know the order of anything, so when Iruka next awoke it’d probably look like she’d been robbed… Or not. With a faint yet amused sigh, Ryoki places the purse down next to Iruka’s sleeping figure, and steals herself from making herself look like an even bigger creep. “She must’ve been really tired… Poor thing. Probably isn’t used to staying up this late.” She turns back to Yutaro, that joyful glimmer returning to her eyes again. “Soooo… ready to show me to your master? Teehee!”

“Alright,” Yutaro replied taking his gaze away from Iruka and walking over to one of the many doors. He gave a knock and, after a minute or so, the door opened, revealing an older gentleman sitting at a desk with lots and lots of spreadsheets. The whole office could have been a shrine devoted to Microsoft Excel. The man was on the phone, but muted the mic on his end to give Yutaro a chance to speak. “I have a friend who’s looking for some extra work serving drinks. I think the guests will really like her.” The man said nothing, but made a gesture, which Yutaro mirrored to Ryoki, signaling for her to come on in.

Before Ryoki entered the office, Yutaro saw Iruka sprawled out on the couch. Geez, I can’t just leave her here either… “Ah, Ryoki,” he said, stopping her just before she entered. “The boss just wants to talk to you for a minute, make sure you’re not a crackhead before he hires you, you know, the basics.” He gestured over to the unconscious Iruka. “I should probably take her home. It doesn’t seem like anyone is going to pick her up. If you need anything, well, you know how to reach me.” He gave her one last wink before heading over to the couch.

Ryoki had started cleaning up her belongings, but there were still a few things left around. He noted from her ID that she was a student at the Academy, and the key lying next to her had to belong to her dorm. “Oh boy, hope you got your homework done today, because you will not want to do it tomorrow. Come on sleepy head…” He gently shook her, trying to rouse her awake, and eventually managed to escort her zombified body to the front of the casino.

From there, Yutaro called a cab and accompanied her to the dorm, seeing as she couldn’t stay awake for more than thirty seconds at a time without being roused at this point. Yutaro tried to be discreet as he walked her into the dorm building, but there weren’t very many people coming and going at this hour. He was quick and quiet when he took Iruka into her room, laying her down in her bed and pulling the covers over her so she could get some decent sleep. He set her belongings on a nearby chair, and without a sound, he left the dorm. Poor thing, he thought as he called a cab once again to take him back to his place. She would be OK once she got past her hangover, but he hoped this would be a learning experience for her.

Nori blinked once, then twice. Then a third time, just to be super sure, but no matter how many times she blinked, the image stayed the same. On the front door that led to her apartment's landing, there was one word, scrawled in scarlet, the letters starting to run together in the rain.

TOMORROW.

"Hgn," Nori squeaked, flexing her fingers nervously around the hilt of her umbrella as she shifted her weight uneasily. "It looks like blood," the small blonde warbled anxiously while flicking her gaze over to the huge hole that had been crushed into the wall by the door. Whatever happened here must have taken place after she went upstairs last night because she definitely would have noticed otherwise. Hunks of plaster and brick were strewn all about the sidewalk, little red specs of something languidly washing away in the downpour.

"Right," Nori nodded decidedly, turning to unlock the door to the Enchanted Florist. "I should call the police."

---

An hour and a half later, Nori was well into regretting her decision to get the police involved.

"So you're telling me," Officer Saiko retorted between smacking obnoxiously at a candy cane, "That the word, 'Tomorrow' was written on your door in what you believe to be blood?"

"Yes. I know it's not there anymore because of the rain, but I showed you the picture I took of it right after I called you."

"Right, the picture," the ginger muttered skeptically, casting an unimpressed glance at Nori's phone. "And this isn't photoshopped? Because, as an intelligent woman like yourself must know, lying to a police officer and falsifying documents is a crime."

"Why would I photoshop this?" Nori hissed through clenched teeth. "What about the hole wall!?"

"That...," the officer trailed off, appeasing the damaged wall with disinterested hazel eyes. "...is probably from a bird flying into it or somethin'."

"A bird? Seriously? It must have been an Articuno to cause that much damage."

"An arti what?"

"Never mind," Nori mumbled, rubbing her temple where she could feel a headache coming on. "So what are you saying I should do?"

"Call your insurance company to come look at this damage," Officer Saiko told her, flipping his notepad shut and tucking it into his breast pocket. "As for the graffiti on your door, it's not there now so there isn't anything for us to do about it."

"Fine," the florist ground out and the man gave her a curt nod before walking back to his police cruiser and driving off. Nori, who was already incredibly irritated, walked back into the Enchanted Florist just in time to here Nick Weston say over the radio, "...why don’t you stop by The Enchanted Florist and grab her some flowers to say, ‘I’m Sorry’? Who knows, maybe she’ll take you back! Just don’t get caught ogling the pretty florists like Kaori Tatsumia and…well…I guess just her. *Cough* Anyways...,".

"REALLY NICK WESTON!?" Nori screeched, grabbing the closet thing (a spool of electric chartreuse ribbon) and hurling it at one of the surround sound speakers in the corner of the shop. It may not have stopped the radio host's smooth voice, but it felt gratifying.

By the time Ariana got done singing about all the winter things she was going to do with her boo, Nori had calmed down enough to look up the e-mail of the private detective that had been mentioned on the radio last night.

Detective Holland,

When I woke up this morning I found the word, 'Tomorrow' written on my front door in what might have been blood. Next to the door it looks like someone smashed something into the wall. I have already contacted the police and they seem unwilling to take me seriously.

I have attached both a picture of the door and one of the damage to the building. If you have any advice on how I should proceed with this matter, please contact me by e-mail or my cell number, which is xxx-xxxx. I don't have a ton of money, but I am still willing to negotiate a small fee for your advice and services.

Nori Haywood

After proofreading once or twice, the florist hits the send button and goes back out into the rain to start cleaning up the debris.

---