Location: Building #1; Ground Floor; Lobby → Courtyard
Interactions: @Red Wizard Ryū
Mentions: Rebecca @Massasauga, Khalid @Lugubrious, Iris [BunniesOfDoom], Theria @Dragonydas, Max @LupusIntus

As the two of them passed through the lobby, though the sacred sense she possessed, she felt a.. chill, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. It made her fur stand, it made her uneasy. Luckily, they were only passing through, but she couldn’t help but look at the room as they went as her paws click-clacked across the flood. A man, a woman, Max, and Theria. The feeling she was getting couldn’t have been coming from Theria or Max, right? So what was up with these two new faces? She couldn’t tell from here and didn’t feel particularly compelled to stay and figure it out. Besides, she was busy. She sat at the door and waited for Ryū to come and open it for her, ”My true form is somewhere between, actually. I find my human body has better hands, and feeling things on your skin is pretty nice, too.”

Once she was let out into the light of the Sun the magnificence of her fur while illuminated seemed to transfix the dragon, stunning her to her surroundings. A young woman in tatters was trying to get past, and desperately trying to conceal herself as she did. Politely, Yumeiko looked away and cleared her throat.

Ryu was controlling herself quite well, despite the urge to touch the soft, golden fur of Yumeiko’s pelt being almost palpable to the fox at a distance. The fox grinned internally, “yes, you may touch me now.” The warmth of the Sun had a certain touch against her fur, gave her a certain radiance, and Ryū seemed to fully appreciate it. Though she did not directly serve Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess shone her brilliance even here.

”You are a very large dragon, are you?” Ryū had said something about not fitting in even the courtyard, she turned to look about. She wouldn’t fit in this space? “Such a grand and powerful figure you must be.”

While Erikson seemed leery of Khalid’s proposal, which the would-be therapist more or less expected, he at least offered to spread the word, which was all Khalid really needed of him. He offered his fellow man a grateful nod, then let him off the hook to go and handle Rebecca’s papers. Their dynamic was such that the two of them could never really have a normal conversation. One merely imposed upon the other until the other could scurry away. That hardly bothered Khalid, though, as long as Erikson did his job. Compared to her worrywart associate, Theria seemed more enamored with the idea, even if she was simply making a professional effort to be polite. Even if the two essentially said the same thing, the manner of speech made all the difference; one’s assurance could easily be interpreted as disingenuous placation, whereas the other implied considerate appreciation. For her graciousness Khalid offered the gorgon an affable smile and respectful bow of the head. “You’re very welcome, Miss Lasthena.” Recommendations from well-connected, well-liked, and generally trusted individuals like these two carried a lot more weight than the word of an unusual stranger like him–as Holloway’s response a moment later aptly demonstrated.

The veteran regarded Khalid with thinly veiled distrust, a subtle, half-imagined menace in -or behind- her eyes. Now that her aloof, thousand-yard stare lay on him directly, Khalid found her gaze rather intense. Staring at the sun was bad enough without it staring back, burning him away layer by layer in order to ascertain his true intentions. Since Holloway couldn’t actually peel him like an onion, though, she could only make assumptions about him, very few of them favorable. People tended to be most uncharitable the moment they deduced that someone wanted something from them, and the soldier looked down on him like she might some grifter in a back-alley bazaar. Her condescension rankled Khalid, though he kept his expression restrained to one of polite disappointment. He’d barely said anything, so why treat Shoggoth Therapy like a trick? Well…that was rather the point of it, admittedly, but how would she know?

“As you wish,” Khalid told her without any edge to his voice. “Though ‘wants’ have nothing to do with one’s duty, hm?” Before any healing could begin, they would need to earn one another’s trust, and that began with respect. Maybe she could relate to someone else who’d endure unpleasant truths in their line of work, earning him a modicum of respect. Or maybe, since she saw herself as protecting others from her past for their own good, his willingness to gaze into that abyss would be seen as a challenge. Either way, he didn’t plan to push any harder, but Khalid figured it wouldn’t hurt to say something.

Not long after that, more monsters began to come out of the woodwork. A strange procession passed through that consisted of a auricomous fox and a scarlet-haired girl with a rather commanding presence. The multiple tails of the former and the unblinking incandescent eyes of the latter suggested that there was more to them than met the eye, and to someone in the know, the truth was stranger than fiction. They were Miss Yumeiko and Miss Ryu, a fox spirit and a red dragon, respectively. Together they made an odd pair, considering whose company Yumeiko typically kept, and the dragon’s excitement suggested that they were up to something as they headed toward the courtyard. Before Khalid could guess what, though, another woman came the opposite way: Iris Madril, one of the condos’ more infamous werewolves. And judging by the tattered state of her clothes, she’d just concluded another one of her episodes.

It was starting to get a little too crowded around here for Khalid’s liking, so as Iris pulled up, the eruditionist veered away. Better to make himself scarce before ‘the wolf’ decided to eat anything else. Of course, eating a Shoggoth was a suicidal idea in theory, since it would not so much get digested as digest and assimilate its host from within, but the cryptozoologically-challenged couldn’t be trusted to know that, so he stood to lose a great deal to an impulsive, ignorant chomp. Still, Iris’s situation was interesting, especially to an armchair psychologist like Khalid. To him, it seemed that as long as she mentally divided herself into two beings -the woman and the wolf- each would oppose and impede the other. If both halves accepted the other, maybe the werewolf could become more than the sum of her parts. Hopefully word of Shoggoth Therapy would reach her ears.

For now though, Khalid left the building and ventured out into the ordinary world. He would have to trust Erikson, Theria, and his poster to advertise his new practice, as he had too much to do today to stand around and solicit storytellers himself. Classes, meetings, and errands would demand a decent chunk of his time for today. Still, he kept his phone on hand in case anyone called to schedule an appointment, checking it almost as often as he checked on the Shoggoth in his satchel. Things were already getting interesting, and the day had only just begun.

---

Locations: Courtyard Interactions: @CitrusArms

---

Had Ryū been in any other situation, the rude shove she had recieved would no doubt have elicited a strong reaction. She was not used to being treated that way and would have sought vengeance, but she was too focused and transfixed with the golden pelt of the spirit fox to take heed of the slight. A slight grumble was her only response, but she made a mental note of saving her comeback for later. There was the matter of her pride having to be upheld, after all. Having recovered from the incident, she squatted down next to Yumeiko, her eyes glowing with barely concealed glee. The dragon reached out slowly, tentatively, and made contact with the fox over her back. Her hands were incredibly careful, her caresses soft and measured as she let the silky strands run between her fingers. It was everything she had hoped for, and a wide smile spread on her face as she let her hands explore.

So soft, heehee~ Ryū whispered, running her fingers from Yumeikos neck down her back, I like your fur very much! She took the chance to give the fox some scratches along her neck too, and behind the ears, as she'd seen humans do to doggos on the TV. Ryū couldn't tell if Yumeiko was enjoying it, but she hadn't objected yet, so she kept going. A part of her wanted to rub her belly too, having learned that doggos seemed to like that, although she thought better of it. It seemed a step to far, somehow. Maybe another time. But she did want to stroke the tails - they looked like the best part of the whole deal! She would ask for permission first, though. Ryū had a feeling that might be private too, but couldn't be sure.

Do you like it? she asked, looking Yumeiko in the eye, I can keep going, if you want. Perhaps I could pet your tails, too? They look so pretty! Ryūs expression was all excited innocense, like a child on christmas, despite her draconic nature. Her hands kept busy all the while, trying to make the best of it despite her inexperience and hoping against hope that Yumeiko would consent to her plea.

Location: Building #1; Ground Floor; Lobby → Courtyard
Interactions: @Red Wizard Ryū
Mentions: None

Yumeiko sat straight as Ryū approached, to pet her. The dragon had ignored the rude brush and remained focused, commendable. Her tails continued their gentle swaying behind her, stilling only slightly as the dragon’s hand approached. Her tails began wagging, instinctively coordinated to counterbalance each other. She leaned into the scritches behind her ear and at her neck. She did like hosting these, and they never failed to attract shrine guests.

Aah, the words of praise for her exquisite coat, “thank you. I put great effort into the care of my sacred fur.” The five-tailed spirit fox leaned her head down as the fingers worked her neck, then laid down with her paws stretched out in front of her. It was nice being able to talk during this. She didn’t have to get anyone to act as her handler. ”I take care of Miyuki’s fur, as well. You should be careful of her tails, if she ever lets you touch her.”

“Yes, you’re doing wonderfully,” Yumeiko answered with a giggle. She didn’t usually get asked like that, it was refreshing. For a dragon that could talk about eating people without batting an eye, Ryū was very sweet and considerate and cute. From their earlier conversation, perhaps the dragon was looking for more peaceful days?

Then Ryū asked about her tails, and she met the intense gaze from the dragon-eyed woman, thoughtful as she sat back up. She hummed and considered it. Ryū was minding her manners quite well. Yes, that deserved a reward. The golden fox fanned her tails out for excited, youthful, adorable beast, “you may pick but one tail to touch.” One of her tails was blessed to touch, and she would let the odds of that to chance, but she would, indeed, offer the chance.

Location: Building 1: Ground floor, Reception
Interactions: [@Massasauga}, @Red Wizard, @CitrusArms, @BunniesOfDoom, @LupusIntus

---

Theria smiled at Rebecca as she spoke about Slick while Pippin kept trying to push herself towards the new snake on the block. “Oh. Don’t worry about it. We allow pets here. I mean… I have eight snakes myself, though mine aren’t really pets and more part of me.”

She laughed, almost all of the snakes hissing with her as to join in with the laughter. All but one, Kisses, who was still sound asleep. This was normal for Kisses, so Theria wasn’t worried. For some reason, Kisses was always asleep, and would only wake up if startled.

Suddenly, Layla perked up, noticing that Yumeiko and Ryū were passing by. Wait… this reminded her of something… There was something she wanted to tell Max… something about what happened in the morning… OH…

She turned to Max, suddenly remembering what she wanted Max for early on. “Max, I’m sorry. Could you order two new blood fridges and some extra bags? The fridge in Lady Coventry’s room is broken, and I want to keep one here in the reception… in case of emergencies.”

She had just finished saying this when Layla turned her attention towards the main door. Neiko, the fashionista of her snakes, also turned and hissed in surprise, causing Theria to also look towards the entrance. Coming towards them was Iris in tattered clothing. “Oh my.” She said in surprise. She knew this was a common occurrence with werewolves, but this usually happened on the path from the tranquility rooms to their personal quarters… Still, she needed to keep her professionalism.

She listened to Iris attently and nodded. “Well Lady Madril, I’ll make sure that someone delivers the footage to your room. And as for quick cash… Maybe some residents might need help with chores? I don’t really know… Maybe I can…”

Theria’s stomach growled, making her cheeks turn slightly red, a very visible feature due to the abundance of green on her head. “I’m sorry. I haven’t had breakfast yet… I’m sure Max can help you. I’m just going to get something to eat.” She said as she made her way towards the restaurant. Of course, Kaki the gluttonous snake happily hissed at the idea of food coming near her.

---

Location: Building 1 Kitchen

“I’m telling you Theria.” Said Borkus the Head chef “Something’s wrong. That dishwasher worked fine for four years now. It didn’t just break.”
“Well Borkus,” responded Theria. ”I’ll still talk with the repairman. He will take a look at it and see if it can be fixed. I’ll give him a call once I get to the front desk.”

“Alright alright. Thankfully we still have enough clean pans and dishes to work tonight. Now leave my kitchen before I start thinking about making snake soup.” He snorted and Theria laughed with him.

Borkus was like an uncle to Theria. Like that weird uncle that is usually rude but actually means well. She respected him alot, so if Borkus said that something strange was happening, then something strange was indeed happening.

She waved at Borkus and made her way to the reception area, thinking about what could possibly have happened for a four year old dishwasher that worked every day cleaning many dishes multiple times a day to just suddenly stop functioning.

_{Late Afternoon
Velvet's Room > Building 1 Cafeteria
Interacting with: N/A}

---

Ah, summertime!

Humming a tuneless song, Velvet walked down the wooded trail. Around her, the flora of her homeland flourished: oaks, hawthorns, chestnuts, and all the wildflowers one could ever want. Gnarled roots jutted out of the path, and she made a game of hopping from root to root. Why not, right? Occasionally a breeze would blow through, setting the branches a-rustling and the leaf shadows dancing, and tousle her uneven hair. It was the perfect temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. All things considered, it was a perfect day, and the feeling of the sun on her back made it all the better.

Wait.

The sun? No. That wasn't right. That wasn't right at all. Shouldn't she only be out at night? The sun would--her breath began to heave, and she stumbled towards the edge of the path and towards the darkness beneath the trees. She...she shouldn't be out here in the daytime! She'd burn up! She--

I hope you'll pardon my intrusion.

And just like that, the panic faded away as a figure walked from beneath the trees. The light of infinity shone in his eyes, and night trailed in his wake. I didn't want to interrupt your walk at first. It seemed like such a nice dream.

Velvet heaved a long, slow sigh as a narrow slice of a crescent moon formed in the sky, stars filling the gaps between the leaves. Now that the sun was gone, she felt far more comfortable, even if it was just a dream. "Am I supposed to tell you 'nice to see you again' or something like that?" She stroked the back of her hair nervously, looking up at the sky and refusing to meet those eternal eyes. "So, what do you want? You're not gonna tell me it's my turn, right?"

The figure laughed, though the sound was a bit thin, then slowly shook his head. Not just yet, miss Alviva. Your kind are notorious for how long it takes until you come to me. I promise, one ageless being to another: when it's your time, I'll let you know. No, he leaned against a hefty white oak, I was simply visiting an old friend in the neighborhood is all, and I thought I'd drop in to say hello.

"Well, you can drop out, how about that?"

No answer was forthcoming, and as she dropped her head from the sky to demand an answer of him, he was already gone.

---

Her eyes opened to the creamy eggshell of her room's ceiling and she blinked a few times to adjust to being in reality again. A few seconds passed as she tried to work up the will to do things. It had been some time since the two of them had spoken.

Then she huffed in a harsh breath and levered herself to a sitting position. Ooh, ouch. Her arm was clearly still hurt, and she delicately unwrapped the blood-soaked bandage to find the place where she'd been bitten a large, angry red scab halfway to being a scar. A quick rap to her chest confirmed to her that the same was true for the slashes there. All told, not too bad. She'd be right as rain by three in the morning, at the latest.

For now, though, she had a craving. And not blood, this time. No, she had a craving for pastries. For cake. For ice cream. She was in the mood to eat something sweet. And given that her fridge door had been torn off--she winced in embarrassment, did she really do that last night?--there was only one place to get that right now. It was seven according to her phone. She'd slept for twelve full hours. Yeesh.

As she trotted through the halls, she found herself humming a tuneless song.

A minute or two later and she'd arrived in the cafeteria and walked cheerfully up to the serving window, rapping her knuckles on the frame and ducking her head in through. Her eyes had reclaimed their starry luster, and they glowed a faint red. "Hey, Borkus!" She grinned, fangs giving her a mischievous quality. "Do you still have some of that blood icing? I wanna lick it out of the bowl!"

Qaymu

---

Bldg 1, Restaurant

---

Qaymu sighs. He'd spent most of the day in the courtyard, brooding over his friend's death, and nobody approached him. Not was he hungry, but he put his now cooled pipe back into his pocket and headed towards the building one restaurant. He wanted to be around other monsters rather than go back up to his room.

As usual, the restaurant was beginning to bustle as others were coming in. He ordered a coffee, black, no sugar or creamer, had his card scanned and sat in a corner facing outward where he could keep an eye out on everything. Was tonight the meeting of the activities committee? He couldn't remember.

Perhaps he could get a game of Chess going, although most of the younger monsters preferred video games now. Which made them a pushover.

His Max loved to play poker, but he'd play chess with Qaymu, trying to get some moves for his own game. And forget about casinos - he was barred on both coasts. Sasquatch were great chess players, but they stated on the West Coast. Really, among the group here, only Red could give him a decent game if she was willing, but from what he could see, she was too enraptured with the fox maidens.

He'd just have to see how the night turns out.

_{Location: URC 1: Ground Reception —> Cafeteria
Time of Day: Early Morning --> Late Afternooon
Relevant Cast:@dragonydas@BunniesOfDoom}

---

She turned to Max, suddenly remembering what she wanted Max for early on. “Max, I’m sorry. Could you order two new blood fridges and some extra bags? The fridge in Lady Coventry’s room is broken, and I want to keep one here in the reception… in case of emergencies.”

"O-oh! Of course, Ms. Theria." Max said, smiling at his manager. He wilted only slightly when too many pairs of beedy little eyes turned all at once to focus on him with a look he could never pinpoint exactly but just assumed it was somewhere between indifference, affection and hunger. The clerk gave the many snakes an awkward smile which turned more awkward when he realized he was smiling at a bunch of snakes, though they certainly seemed far more intelligent than the garden variety, before dropping his eyes to his work. Max made a quick sticky note to contact the URC mediator at the local blood bank before making sure the new refrigerator order would be delivered within a buisiness day.

Theria’s stomach growled, making her cheeks turn slightly red, a very visible feature due to the abundance of green on her head. “I’m sorry. I haven’t had breakfast yet… I’m sure Max can help you. I’m just going to get something to eat.” She said as she made her way towards the restaurant. Of course, Kaki the gluttonous snake happily hissed at the idea of food coming near her.

Max looked up suddenly, his own cheeks burning red as he made eye contact with Iris and remembered the werewolf's enthusiastic offer to 'change him'. "Have you... uh... thought about... getting a job?"

---

Max turned the key, locking his apartment door with pleasant sigh and strolled down the hallway humming the newest Sabrina Carpenter track. Gone was his button down shirt and tie, replaced with a black Into the Spiderverse graphic-T, khaki shorts and sandals. Surviving another shift at Umbra Rose was always something to be celebrated, though today hadn't been particularly harrowing. The worst it got was when the swamp creature in building 3 had gotten his wading pool filter clogged with muck... again. Max would have to speak with Theria about reminding him that the management needed to approve all additional swamp foliage because he was sure Benoit had been bringing in some new types of swamp grass that wreaked havoc on the pool's systems.

He rode the elevator down to the ground floor and quickly ducked his head into reception. "Have a great shift, Dimitiri!" The massive minotaur, bulging muscles straining the limits of his button down shirt, sat hunched in the too-small-computer chair. He simply snorted without looking up from the 'Livestock Weekly' magazine pinched between his large fur-covered fingers. Dimitrios wasn't one for idle conversation and Max could respect that.

The ground floor was mostly quiet, at the moment, so he strolled towards the cafeteria for a late post-shift lunch.

Rebecca Holloway
1900

The room was rather empty. Rebecca had only what she could carry in her bag with her, which included a sleeping bag and a bedroll, some changes of clothes, a few other essentials and toiletries, some gear that was currently stored in her closet, and her personal belongings. She had her smart phone up to her ear and leaned against the wall, looking out the window at the city below.

"Yeah...yeah I'm alright. No trouble yet. ...yeah, the address for the PO box I texted you should be fine. Don't want to get too much too fast. Lord knows they're trying to get anything they can on me for a lead. ...yeah, I'm keeping my head down like I know how to do. Yeah...yeah...thanks, Tilt. Give the boys my best. I'll look for some local employment. Nothing fancy. Should help me make this place more comfortable...yeah...so send what you can in small amounts. Alright. Got it. Thanks, man. See ya."

Rebecca turned the smart phone around and slid it into her pocket. Most of her stuff was unpacked, and it made her feel a lot better now. It had taken the whole time since she had arrived, but it was done at least. She had taken her M65 Field Parka off. She had a black t-shirt on under it and was still wearing her jeans for today. The sleeves barely covered her tattoos. Two snakes labeled "BOA" and "GARTER" ran down her right arm, criss-crossing and ending at her hand, and there was a wolverine wrapped in barbed wire on her left forearm that led up to a rose. She looked in the mirror of her bathroom and touched the small tattoo on the back of her neck. The Greek letter delta that had been colored in green. Bad business, that.

There wasn't much else to do about it. She was here now. A fresh start. A new life. For however long it would last, she would make the most of it. She stepped out and headed for the cafeteria. Her stomach was quiet, but the hollow gnawing of hunger was deep in her gut. She'd gone days without food before, but she wasn't in country now. She noticed Theria making her way out of the cafeteria and slipped by as quiet as she could. Though, it would be quite the feat to dodge her entirely with those extra pairs of eyes she had around her head. A small girl with black hair was currently talking to the cook in the kitchen. With nothing but her boots on the floor making any sort of sound, she saddled up into the newly formed line behind the girl and waited for her turn with her hands shoved into her jean pockets.

---

Location: Building 1, lobby
Interactions: @Lugubrious, @LupusIntus, @Dragonydas

---

Iris paid no mind to the man who decided to take his leave as she arrived. She got it. There's this tall woman in clothes that were definitely not suitable for the general public, sparking up a conversation with the front desk staff. It could make some people uncomfortable but possibly not as uncomfortable for him as was that stench coming from his bag was for her. She did her best not to scrunch up her nose at the smell of the shoggoth but damn it was pungent. She tried holding her breath as the man made his leave. She peered over at his back as he left through the front door. When he disappeared behind the closing door, Iris finally let out her breath in a loud exhale. She knows she's surrounded by monsters on a daily basis and some of them just smelled but it didn't make encountering someone with such a smell any easier. She had a sensitive nose damnit.

As Theria addressed her, stopping mid sentence to state how hungry she was and turning to leave, Iris hooded her eyes and watched Theria leave through her eyelashes. She thought it was really quite rude to just leave mid conversation like that but what could one do? Some monsters just had to eat if they hadn't in a while. So, even though Iris felt a little offended at Theria's sudden decision to go eat, she didn't say anything about it. She just watched the gorgon head out and away to the cafeteria. Then there were only three.

Iris turned her eyes on Max, watching the large man get physically flustered in front of her. Okay! This was getting ridiculous! She sighed and she rested her elbow on the desk and placed her head in her palm. Surely it wasn't such a sight to see Iris in this get up that she was chasing everyone away! It was just a little tattered clothing! Some monsters don't even wear clothes! It's not like she's that out of the ordinary in this place! Come on!

When Max suggested her getting a job, it took Iris by surprise. She sat there a moment, staring at Max with wide, unsure eyes before she started laughing. She smacked her hand down on the desk as she let out a full belly laugh. “Me? Get a job? That's funny Max. Imagine me, dealing with the general public.” She chuckled again as she straightened from the desk, a small card sticking to the end of her elbow as she did so. She just shook a finger at Max as if to say, oh you, before she pulled the card off her elbow and gazed down at it. Shoggoth therapy, free. She paused to read the whole card as she turned away from the front desk. She gave a small wave over her shoulder. “Thanks anyways, Max. I'll figure it out eventually.” She continued to read the card as ahe headed down the hall towards her building and eventually, her bedroom. Therapy huh? Maybe she could try it out. It could be helpful to have someone to talk to about the whole werewolf mess. She would just have to deal with the smell.

Later that day, Iris slowly woke up from the coma she had just been in. She blinked a few times as her mind reluctantly began to work. She was face down on her bed, still in her tattered clothing. She barely made it into the apartment before she collapsed on her bed and went to sleep. She was so exhausted and everything ached. She didn't even try to convince herself that a more suitable outfit would do her better. She just flopped down on the bed and was asleep almost instantly.

She rubbed at the dry drool that encrusted her cheek and looked down to see a stained spot on her bed where she had obviously drooled through the day. She grunted and slid herself out of the bed, flinging the covers and pillows off before ripping the fitted sheets off as well. She crumpled the dirty sheets into a ball and thew them in the corner of the room. She'll have to wash them when she goes to do laundry but for now, she peered down at her clothes before sighing. Time to get properly dressed.

She pulled out her usual clothes of jeans and a t-shirt and quickly got dressed. She felt complete, even if she could use a few more hours of sleep. It was nice to be in her comfortable jeans again. It made her feel whole.

Slipping on a pair of socks then her boots, Iris made her way out of her apartment. She needed to get some food then do some brainstorming on how to get money. She really did need to get a new phone. One can't survive in today's age without a phone.

So, deep in thought, she made her way towards the cafeteria.

Locationn: Umbra Rose Condos, Miyuki & Yumeiko's apartment, Miyuki's room
Time of Day: Late Evening
Relevant Cast: N/A

---

Rolly, rolly, rolly~

Miyuki was lying on her - lavish - bed in her room, carefree as one could be, rolling from one end of the bed to the other, tails whirling with her like a fuzzy miniature tornado. Tody had been a tiresome day, so she was indulging in some well-deserved lazing. After all, in the morning she'd gotten woken up really early, then gotten attacked by some weirdo, then had to watch a street-brawl (which included her assailant and another wierdo), then she'd had to go and inform the staff of this place about the incident, go to the dining area - only to get verbally molested by some rude woman there - and finally, she'd had to make small-talk with some newly encountered neighbours otdoors.

IAND! Let's Not. Forget. She also did some exploring of this strange new home of theirs. Visiting both Building #2 and Building #3, and checking what sorts of fun services they offered the residents. but... It had been a massive disappointment. There was a pool, but it looked to be more for just excersising rather than lounging. There was a gym, but who needed to work up a sweat and strain themselves physically when you had magic? There was some kind of weird empty, overly large room, which she had been told was meant for stress-relief or seclusion... But what purpose did that serve? Honestly, the most interesting thing she'd found all day was that strange machine with the colorful side, which apparently sold somehting called 'Root Beer... It was interesting. How did one make alcohol from a root? Sadly, te strange hallway machine required coins of the local currency, and Miyuki had exactly zero of those. So, alas, she'd been denied a chance to try this peculiar brew of the west... For now... Once Yumi got back home, she'd pester the golden one to get her some.

Still, it was getting a bit late in the day now, and hopefully her cute companion would soon return to their little love-nest. While she did so enjoy alone-time, it was always more fun and interesting when her snookums was around. At least as far as teasing and physical fun was concerned. The black-haired fox giggled mischievously to herself, thinking about all sorts of things she could say and do once the little lovely got back.

But first.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrumble~

"... Again? This western food really isn't very filling, is it?"

The fox spirit pouted in discontent as she now lay sprawled on her back, staring into the ceiling. To avoid having a run-in with the neckbiting menace, the feral wolf-woman and the rude girl who smelled like ash and burning, Miyuki had purposefully skipped lunch. An anoaly for her to be sure, but that was just how much she'd wish to avoid these particular individuals. But, hunger had at least caught up with her, and there were no snacks around - that is to say, within arm's reach - so things were starting to get dire.

"At this rate... I'm going to have to get up, huh? Boooooo_oooo..."

---

---

Location: Building #1; Room 407
Interactions: Miyuki @Xaltwind
Mentions: None

Yumeiko returned to the apartment after doing her own rounds of the grounds. She’d been more impressed with what she found than Miyuki had been. The first building, where they stayed, was mostly reception at the ground floor. The second building was mostly care and utilities, while the third building had more recreation to it. There was a theater, though she wondered who performed? Surely, no human troupe would be allowed in, that would be too much risk? There must be a troupe here, among the monsters, then.

Swimming was one thing that was easier in a fully human body. All of her fur dragged in the water terribly, making it very difficult to move quickly at all, and trying to go anywhere with five wet tails was miserable, land or sea. She’d been swimming and liked it, however, despite the need for her fully human form.

Miyuki’s shoes were here. Knowing her, she was lounging about in bed. Yes, probably. She stepped out of her own shoes and up onto the wooden floor. Her feet pip-pap’d along the floor as she made her way through the hallway.

“Hairu~” Yumeiko chimed as she opened the door to Miyuki’s room, entering letting the door close behind her with an unseen hand, “Miyuki, how did you find the complex? I thought the theater was interesting.” The golden spirit fox approached and sat on the edge of the bed as she examined her love, “it’s about dinner, would you like to eat something?” Her tails lay on the bed or flicked lazily as she watched the elder fox. She seemed a little fatigued. Had she eaten?

Qaymu

---

Bldg 1, Restaurant

---

Qaymu pauses at the table to take a sip of coffee, then leaves it on the table to walk over to some built-in shelves. There was a chess set on the top shelf, covered with dust.

"Ũstdth, Egönæbtb!" he muttered, and the dust vanished. Admittedly, it was hard to get the slimes to get the top shelf.

Taking down the box, Qaymu strode back to the table and put the chess set down as he slid into his seat.

It was an old set with the classic wooden chess pieces. He slowly began setting up the board.

---

Location: Alphonse’s Bedroom → Building 1 Cafeteria|| Interactions: Max @LupusIntus, Iris @BunniesOfDoom
Time: Late Afternoon

---

Classes let out late, as usual, but that wasn’t the reason for the knot in Khalid’s stomach as he made his way through the city back to his place of residence. Many people dreaded school, university in particular, as well as the accompanying studies, but not him. Everyone wanted -if not needed- something to occupy their day to day existence, particularly when not engaged in the routine of actual occupation. For many that took the form of entertainment, something sufficiently diverting to ease the tedium of existence, but for Khalid learning was fun. His occult and cryptozoological research engaged him deeply, allowing him to lose himself in the works of history’s unsung scholars. Hours could fly by in the blink of an eye as he filled his mind with arcane knowledge, high on the quivers of distant, muted horror that so often accompanied peeks into the untold beyond. That was the meaning of erudition: to covet secrets known to very few, even if they be so horrible that one could scarcely sleep at night, and keep alive the truths shunned by the ignorant masses since the days when the world was new. Truly, Khalid could never thank Dr. Muñoz enough for the privilege of access to this hidden world once more, especially after the gruesome death of his grandfather all those years ago (and the diaspora of the Alhazred clan that followed) seemed to close that door for good.

Khalid’s erudition was, however, part of the problem, as much as it pained him to admit it. The fact of the matter was that, no matter how much he longed for something more, he lived his life in a mundane, material world. He’d honed a very particular set of skills, and there were simply not that many career opportunities for someone in his chosen field. He’d needed to get very creative to find a way to make money off his efforts, but as his work with the Crow demonstrated, creativity and financial success didn’t always go hand in hand. Khalid could make it if he became a best-selling author, a famous horror flick writer, or a renowned video game creature designer, but that kind of success demanded everything he lacked: money, connections, time, and luck. Talent as well, if he was being realistic. Of course, that was all immaterial to what he really wanted: to fully immerse himself in that hidden world. With his skills he knew he could be a hunter, but the uncannily consistent deaths of his predecessors made Khalid leery of such dangerous work. Instead he’d prefer to enlist as some secret society’s field agent, venturing forth on expeditions into the world’s untouched recesses to verify for himself the allegations of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, the Eltdown Shards, and the Confessions of Clithanus.

Without a job in the meantime, though, he’d starve to death well before such dreams could become reality. All day he’d kept his phone within arm’s reach, waiting for a call, a text, or even an email from an unknown sender interested in Al-Azif Shoggoth Therapy. Unfortunately, his phone had remained disquietingly silent. Not one alert had cropped up since that morning. Part of him reasoned that it was simply too soon and not enough Umbra Rose residents had received the news just yet, but part of him fretted that the whole endeavor had been a waste of time from the very beginning. After all, even if he somehow attracted a monstrous client, who knew if he could play the part of a fledgeling therapist well enough to keep them coming back for more? Or if the results of such sessions would even be usable? Maybe it would be better to fail at step one, rather than get all the way to the home stretch before falling short. Admit failure, and try something else. Too much longer on this therapy angle and he’d be vulnerable to the sunk-cost fallacy, after all.

As he turned the corner toward the Condos, Khalid sighed. Al-Azif was the original name of the Necronomicon, authored by Khalid’s very own ancestor all those years ago. Meaning ‘the truth’, it represented not just the true nature of the world, but the core concept of therapy itself, which was ironic given Shoggoth Therapy’s true purpose, and indeed, Khalid’s presence in the condos at all. But he was genuinely interested in the stories of the monsters who lived there, and given the chance he would much rather have them talk through their problems than bottle them up inside. Just from what he’d observed so far, many monsters there were more like people than horrors, and all people deserved a chance at happiness.

That thought made Khalid snicker as he paused at the threshold. Happiness…was that really what awaited him at the end of this journey? It had been a stranger to him on the road he’d traveled so far. Well, no matter. One could hardly relate to another’s suffering if one hadn’t suffered oneself. What is art, after all, but a protest against the horrible inclemency of life? If Khalid did a good job as a therapist, the stories of his monstrous clients would surely be worthwhile. He could only hold onto his mantra: ‘the truth is stranger than fiction’. Even if he’d tangled himself in one hell of a web of lies, his convictions were the crucial grain of truth. Khalid took a deep breath, steeled himself, and pushed forward through the magical wards into Umbra Rose Condos.

Once inside, Khalid let out his breath, and released his grip on his talisman. “Never gets easier,” he muttered. For the second time that day he found himself in the complex’s front lobby, though at this hour it was not the gorgon on duty, but the minotaur Dimitrios. Khalid gave him a stiff nod, on the off chance that the big guy glanced his way. From there he made a beeline through the complex toward his room. After dropping off his things, harvesting some ingredients to mix up some fresh serum, and dosing Horace, he could grab a much-needed meal. He almost always showed up to the cafeteria starving, since given his very tight budget, Khalid typically skipped lunch to make the most out of his free breakfast and dinner. He usually ate in uneventful isolation in Building 3, since the few residents there brave or sedated enough to show their faces in public never spoke up or asked questions, but today Khalid reconsidered his routine. It might help his image and overall discoverability if he patronized the restaurant in Building 1 instead. As much as his introverted side loathed that idea, Khalid could swallow his misgivings and make an effort for the sake of his gambit’s success. It was time to put himself out there.

Half an hour after his return to the complex, the seldom-seen eruditionist strode into Cafeteria 1. It had been open for a while now, so hopefully there would not be a line. Once he received two meals, one for himself and one for Horace, Khalid would find an empty table or booth if one remained, and from there he could wait and see if anyone came to him. It went without saying that nobody would invite him over, after all. The real problem would be if no tables were empty, and eating here meant inviting himself to one taken by someone else. At that point, logic dictated would simply have to call it quits and scuttle back to Building 3 with his tail between his legs.

---

Locations: Bldg 1, Tranquility Room → Bldg 1, Reception Interactions: None

---

Getting to pet the spirit fox had been amazing. It was a memory Ryū would cherish for a long time to come, and she was actively planning to get to do it again in the near future. It was fun, learning and exploring new avenues of life in her small, squishy human form. She'd never have thought, mere centuries ago, that she would one day end up petting a pupper. But here she was. Then again, she'd never have imagined having to live her day to day life as a lowly human mere centuries ago, either. Life sure took its twists and turns. The dragon had no doubt in her heart that her time would once again come, dominating the lesser races - as was her birthright! But for the time being she would do the best with what she was given. And, turns out, it wasn't all so bad.

But having to slog around all day being small and squishy took its toll on Ryū. She needed to stretch her neck, whip her tail, flap her wings for a bit. Needed to occupy space. So she'd gone to the tranquility room to let the glammer slip for a bit. Being big felt good. Felt right. Being terrifying was her natural state, after all. She even indulged in roasting some derelict furniture with her fire breath, just to catch that special scent. She loved the smell of dragonfire in the morning. Smelled like... victory. Once her appetite for wanton destruction was sated, she rang the bell for slime clean-up and glammered herself up once more. Now, what else did she want to do with her day? She should get some more human practice in - there was so much still to learn. Ryū was torn between trying the gym or the swimming pool; she'd never done anything like either before, but knew that humans seemed to enjoy both a lot. The prospect of immersing herself in water was however slightly intimidating. She could swim all right as a dragon, but doubted the procedure could be replicated with her glammered body. No tail, for one. And bipeds weren't really built for serpentine movement. But the gym sounded, well... boring. Hmm. Maybe she could find someone to join her, or help her make her mind up? That could do. The dragon would go looking for friends in the reception.

Locationn: Umbra Rose Condos, Miyuki & Yumeiko's apartment, Miyuki's room
Time of Day: Late Evening
Relevant Cast: @CitrusArms Yumeiko

---

"The only thing interesting I found was the strange metal cabinet that sold a weird drink I've never heard of." Miyuki whined, in response to her golden-haired goddess' query. Now that the younger fox was seated on the bed though, Miyuki's own tails began to almost instintively hunt down and start curling around or brushing against the tails of her fellow fox spirit. At the mention of the theater though, Miyuki looked up into the ceiling and pressed a contemplative finger against her own chin. "I don't think they'll put on any kabuki performances at least. Such a shame..." She mused wistfully.

When the topic of food was brought up though, a certain part of Miyuki's body responded before her words could leave her mouth.

GRRRRRRRROOOORRRRRRRRRRWLL~!

Turning her face to the side, with slightly now-rosey cheeks, the black haired fox woman tried to play her indiiscreet hunger off by lazily playing with a strand of her own hair and doing her very, utmost and damndest to try and remain nonchalant and indifferent to her own body's noises.

"I... Suppose I could have a bite of something." The vixen stated cooly, as if she just hadn't declared to the world and beyond that her tum-tum was running on vape-fumes at the moment. Sighing slightly before making a cute 'hnf!' noise as she sat herself upright in the bed, Miyuki's eyes fell on Yumeiko's face and she smiled. Then flopped forward onto the other fox's back and shoulders, wrapping her arms around the other girl's neck. With a pair of very large, very soft and very squishy weights suddenly being pressed against the back of the golden fox.

"Carry me to a feast, O'Sacred One~" She said sweetly, tails still playfully tussling with Yumeiko's.

---

---

---

Location: Building 1, restaurant
Interactions: @Lugubrious, @Lemons, @Morgannis, @Massasauga

---

Iris had been completely lost in thought as she allowed her legs to take her wherever they felt she needed to go. She was contemplating hard what she could do to get money so she could buy a new phone. She wasn't good out in public. Here in the apartments, she was comfortable being herself because everyone in here was like her, a monster or supernatural being. But out in public, those were humans who, if all the youtube videos about Karens were true, didn't know how to mind their own business and being a person of color, yeah, Iris was just better off not interacting with the general human population. All she would need is for one Karen constantly yelling at her about a simple thing that wouldn't matter in the average person's eyes and she would wolf out and probably get herself killed if not hunted. She could definitely do without that.

So a general job outside of the apartments was a no go. Perhaps she could ask the residents to see if they needed anything done. She couldn't imagine those jobs would pay well but even if she got a twenty for each job, it would eventually stack up, right? But damn, she would need so many jobs to make up the money she needed to pay for a new phone. Those things are like a thousand a piece. She grumbled lightly to herself about letting the wolf get a hold of it. She'll really have to figure out a better idea.

When Iris's name was spoken, her head popped up and she looked around. Her eyes fell on the mothman and she flashed him a bright smile. “Oh hey, Alphonse! Sorry, I was just lost in my- thoughts.” She took a moment to look around, realizing that she had indeed walked to the restaurant for food but instead of going to the main one in her own building, she had found herself at building one's instead. “Huh.” She turned her attention back to the mothman before the smile returned back to her face, if only with a hint of confusion behind it. Was it just aimless wandering or had something or someone guided her to that very spot? She wasn't really sure. But no matter, food was food.

“Looking to get something to eat?” She asked as she slipped her hands out of her jean pockets before opening the door for the insect man. “I'm hoping they've got some good stew or soup on the menu tonight. I could make do with something hot.” After Alphonse stepped through the threshold did Iris step in behind him. Her eyes scanned the Cafeteria, going from one face to the other. She lingered a moment on a few faces, one being the shoggoth therapist, another being Velvet off at the serving window. A pit formed in her stomach at the sight of the vampire. She would have to go apologize to her for what had happened and make sure she understood that she never really meant for it to get that out of control.

She slid her fingers through her hair with a soft huff. This wasn't going to be as quiet of a dinner as she had thought. It seemed like everyone was arriving at the restaurant to eat. There were two other places to get food. Did everyone have to come to this one in particular?

Location: Building #1; Room 407
Interactions: Miyuki @Xaltwind
Mentions: None

”You’re probably right,” Yumeiko nodded. She wasn’t opposed to seeing other kinds of performance, however. Miyuki always was so old-fashioned.

The kyuubi’s gut declared its intention and Yumeiko giggled softly as her tails twined with the other’s black fur. After a bit of posturing and trying to save face, the larger fox threw herself into Yumeiko’s golden-furred body. The spirit fox reached up and gently rubbed the soft arms ensnaring her as she felt the other's warm body press into her. She turned and laid a soft kiss on the soft bicep next to her head, and then gave a playful bite, ”carry you?”

She leaned back into Miyuki and blew gently on her ear as she considered the proposal, ”I could, but that means you’d have to open the doors for me.” She eyed the tender neck not far away from her, but thought better. If she provoked Miyuki, the kiyuubi might actually exhaust herself, and then Yumeiko’d get stuck bringing food back for her, instead of carrying her out to dinner.

Instead, she opted for conversation, “Do you think they’ll show foreign films in the cinema?”

Location: Building 1: Ground floor, Reception
Interactions:

---

Theria adjusted the glasses perched on her nose as she stepped into the soft glow of the reception area. Dimitri sat behind the front desk, his massive frame hunched as he kept his eyes on his magazine.

“Dimitri...” Theria called, startling Dimitri enough to make him drop his reading material. “There’s a dishwasher acting up in the restaurant. Call Guz and get him on it please.”

“On it,” Dimitri rumbled as he picked up the landline phone next to him. Theria however turned her attention to the steady flow of residents moving toward the cafeteria. Velvet… Qaymu… Iris… Max… Alphonse… Even residents that had apartments in the other buildings were coming here to eat… Was there a secret menu item that could only be obtained in the first building or something?

A soft squelch interrupted her thoughts. Theria looked down to see a small, glimmering blue slime wobbling at her feet, its surface rippling as it produced a tiny envelope.

“Regina” Theria muttered, bending down to retrieve the envelope. She unfolded the letter, Regina’s elegant handwriting catching her eye. Theria read aloud, her tone flat. “One of my little ones climbed onto the TV, and now it’s acting strange.” She sighed, rubbing her temple. “Really? I thought we had slime proofed everything that was electronic.”

Dimitri let out a frustrated grunt behind her, snapping her attention back to the desk. He slammed the phone’s receiver onto its cradle with a thud. “What’s wrong?” Theria asked, Layla, her most attentive snake standing at attention. “The phones are down,” Dimitri growled. “Can’t get through to Guz.”

Theria’s snakes all stirred, sensing her unease. “Great. First the dishwasher, now this.” She folded Regina’s letter back into its envelope and tucked it into her pocket. “Anything else falling apart tonight I should know about?”

The desk lamp flickered, its glow stuttering before stabilizing again. Dimitri’s ears twitched, and he glanced toward the light while Layla quickly checked her surroundings. “That’s new...” he muttered.

Theria gave him a sharp nod. “Alright, we need Guz, and I don’t have time to figure out what’s wrong with the phones. Can you check on him in person? He’s probably in his workshop.” “Yeah, I’ll go” Dimitri said, rising from his chair. His horns grazed the top of the doorway as he lumbered toward the hallway leading to the goblin’s workshop. “You holding the fort?” “I’ve got it.” Theria said firmly.

Left alone, Theria crouched down to the little blue slime still waiting by her side. She studied its curious, rippling form for a moment.
“You’re staying with me.” she said quietly, brushing a finger against its cool surface. “If things keep going wrong tonight, I’m going to need an extra set of... whatever you have.”

—-------------------------------------

Borkus did not wait to watch Theria leave after telling her about the malfunctioning dishwasher and immediately turned to bark orders to his team. He had just picked up a large wok to start working on some rice dishes for two of the newest residents in the apartment when he noticed Velvet.

Borkus narrowed his eyes as she spoke. "Bloody icing, huh? Figures. Always somethin’..." His brow furrowed as he tapped a hoof against the tiles. "Hang on. Used some last night for the werewolves’ lamb special." He snapped his fingers, turning toward the hulking figure of Gurnak. The troll was stationed at the soup station, his massive hands stirring a pot with a spoon that, in his grip, looked comically small.

"Gurnak! Check the fridge. Should be some icing left over. Top shelf, in the red jar." Gurnak grunted and lumbered toward the industrial fridge. The ground trembled slightly with each step of his heavy boots. Pulling open the fridge door, he was hit by an intense wave of heat. Steam billowed out, and Gurnak staggered back, his wide nostrils flaring.

"Uh, Chef," Gurnak rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly. He pointed at the fridge, which now seemed more like a sauna. "What is it now, Gurnak?" Borkus’s voice rose with impatience as he stomped over, his hooves clattering against the floor.

Gurnak stepped aside, gesturing to the fridge’s contents. "Fridge’s busted. Everything’s gone warm." Borkus peered inside, his ears twitching with irritation as he took in the defrosted mess. The bloody lamb had liquefied into a sticky pool that dripped ominously onto a carton of cream, the icing had turned into a runny, unrecognizable goo, and most importantly, the tuna he was going to prepare today was now bringing a pungent odor to his nostrils.

"The fridge is what?! No, no, no. Not tonight!" Borkus slapped a hand to his forehead, then pointed a finger at Gurnak. "Didn’t you notice somethin’ off before this?" Gurnak shrugged, his large shoulders nearly touching his ears. "Seemed fine earlier. Guess it died."

Borkus let out a groan that echoed through the kitchen, his tail flicking with frustration. "Of all the nights! The werewolves’ lamb… The tuna for the oriental ladies… it’s all gone to Tartarus!"

Borkus turned to Velvet, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Sorry. Can’t help you right now. Got an emergency here."