He shouldn’t be here.

Not in a modesty sense, no. When you go to the office at school, there’s a front desk where a receptionist signs you in, takes your papers, etc. Beyond the desk, though? That’s where the [i]real[/i] office is. That is the realm of principals, vice-principals, and…hrm, you know, he’s not actually thought it through beyond that. Whoever else you need to run a school! You can exist in front of the desk, that’s okay. That’s allowed. The realm beyond is where no student ought to tread. Whatever goes on back there, that’s not a place for students.

This is, however, a place for Amalis. She knows everyone. Everyone knows her. Everyone’s happy to see her. This place is a maze, and she hasn’t put a foot wrong. She seems more at home here than her little apartment in Crevas. Hazel follows close behind her, huddling in her bubble of authority for safety.

The Crysthanamum whirrs around them like fancy-dressed clockwork. Somehow, all of this? All these people, all these mechanisms, all this [i]everything[/i] turns into spas, shows, eateries, lodgings, and he’s not quite clear how all of that fits under one roof but that doesn’t stop him from sneaking little wondering glances all around him any chance he gets.

Unfortunately for him, the view looks back. Unfortunatelier for him, the view does not bother with being sneaky.

[i]Cute???!!?[/i]

“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” is the noise he makes, and it’s not speaking, because that’s not a real word, it’s just a sound, and it can mean all sorts of things, and anyway he’s going to stop making it now just to be safe. He takes Alcideo’s hand and shakes it, to be even more safe, and to let him know he’s not being [i]rude[/i], and he casts a frantic, pleading to Amali. Then back to Alcideo. Then back to Amali. Alcideo. Amali. Alcideo. Amali. Alcideo. Amali!!!

A sound like steam escaping a rapidly-boiling kettle fills the lift as the pressure of competing demands mercilessly squish him.

(He makes the turns faster and faster as he goes. Back home, his hair would lag behind a second or two if he turned fast enough, and here he has the double benefit of big, silly ears. And he’s had a good week or two to get to know them. They bap him about the head, and it takes him another few turns to “realize” it, stop, and sputter as an ear baps his snout one last time. Hapless. Helpless. Maybe blushing? Hopefully blushing. He never could tell.

Cute, hopefully?

Maybe cute enough for Alcideo to keep going?)