_{Late Afternoon
Building 1 Cafeteria
Interacting with: @Expendable Qaymu}

---

Grumbling at whatever was getting Borkus' goat, Velvet hmmph'd and trudged back the way she'd came. She'd go back up to her room, she thought. Play some video games. The fridge was busted, but the freezer might still work. She might still have some ice cream left in there that hadn't melted out of the carton. If she was lucky. Throwing her head back exaggeratedly, she sighed. Or, more accurately, she directly and rather loudly groaned out the word: "SIGH!"

Where else was she supposed to get blood icing at this hour? Or at any hour, really? That stuff wasn't exactly easy to come by, especially not how Borkus made it.

Dropping her head again, she actually sighed this time, a little ruefully. She wasn't really in the mood to walk all the way up back to her room right after coming down here to throw herself into video games. Maybe she'd watch a movie or something...?

...Nah. Still wasn't feeling it.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Qaymu, and her eyebrow shot up. In front of him was a chessboard, with all the pieces set up, and nobody was there with him. A synapse or two sparked, and a cocky little grin came across her face. How long had it been since she'd played actual chess, with an actual person right across from her and not over the internet or against an AI? A long time. A real long time. Long enough she couldn't remember, really. A hundred fifty years? Two hundred? Three? A long, long time.

So she trotted over and casually slung herself down in the chair. Then, before an objection could be formed, she spun the chessboard so she had white, picked up a piece, and set it down with a sharp clack, fanged grin still wide on her face and a laugh in her voice.

"Pawn to E4."

_{Location: URC 1: Cafeteria —> Ground Reception
Time of Day:Late Afternooon
Relevant Cast:@dragonydas@BunniesOfDoom@Morgannis@Lemons@Expendable[@Lugrubrious]}

---

Max instinctively slowed up as the crowd pulled ahead of him and reached the doors of the cafeteria, knowing well not to get between a monster and its dinner. He gave polite, awkward smiles when ever a gleaming pair of eyes turned his way, offered a nod and a 'good evening, Mr. So-and-so' but was mostly happy to fall into the background as he slipped in shortly after Ms. Iris and Mr. Alphonse and moved to the back of the line forming at the counter. He saw Ms. Velvet and Mr. Qaymu hunched over a chess board and Mr. Khalid at a table by himself. Max had the sudden urge to go over and speak with Mr. Khalid, the man had always been so polite, but the overwhelming feeling of unspeakable dread that filled his soul anytime he was in the monster's presence made it difficult to work up the nerve. His attention was diverted, however, as Chef Borkus began gesturing wildly and barking orders at Gurnak and the other cafeteria staff.

The large human slowly backed out of line as the pigman began using a rather large cleaver to gesture violently around the kitchen and power-walked straight back to reception where he was almost trampled by Dimitri who didn't offer so much as a snort as he stomped down the hall, his gaze focused and hulking form moving with determined purpose. Peeking his head around the corner he saw Ms. Theria and one of the sloombas crouched before the desk. He could already sense the anxiety pouring off the gorgon as he coughed lightly to draw her attention. "Uh... Ms. Theria..." He gave her a wide, apologetic smile as he approached the desk. "I know you're probably busy... but well, Chef Borkus is closer than usual to turning the next unruly cafeteria patron into a dinner special. It sounds like the freezer is on the fritz?"

---

Location: Building 1 Cafeteria|| Interactions: Iris @BunniesOfDoom
Time: Late Afternoon

---

Rebecca Holloway
Building 1 Cafeteria

The cafeteria was hopping within no time. Thankfully, Rebecca had been pretty early so she was able to get her place in line before it got too long. She didn't barely have to wait before her order came up. Grilled chicken with a pasta in cheese and garlic sauce and garlic bread. Certain to keep any vampires at bay for the rest of the day, not that she thought any vampire in the building would want to get a taste of Athectess. She took her plate, said thank you, and rapidly moved to a seat. It had been quite some time since she had a dish like this, but it was her favorite when it was done right. And done right, it was. She dug into her plate with a sort of zeal like she hadn't eaten in days.

Locationn: Umbra Rose Condos, Bldg #1, Miyuki & Yumeiko's apartment, Miyuki's room -> Bldg #1 Cafeteria
Time of Day: Late Afternoon
Relevant Cast: @CitrusArms Yumeiko, Everyone in Building #1 Cafeteria.

---

"Hey now~!" Miyuki laughed as the smaller fox blowed on her face. "That tickles, you little vixen. Trying to sedice me, are we? Well, take this!"

With fingers of inhuman dexterity (because she issn't human), Miyuki's fingers slid down to Yumeiko's side and began to mercilessly tickle the other girl in retribution for her attempts at being a sultry minx. That was Miyuki's role, after all!

However, the fun times were soon interupted by a sudden reminder of reality's cruelties.

RrRrrrRRRRrRrrroorrwrrwrgrrrrl~!

It appeared that a certain part of Miyuki was just not having any of this nonsense and would no longer remain ignored. The black-haired lady flopped over to one side on the bed, in an epically drama queen-like fainting move. Worthy of an Oscar, really. With a hand on her forehead and a face that would make anyone kneel down and offer her the world on a silver platter, if only she would smile again, the fox sighed melancholically.

"Alas, this cruel fate of mine... Here I wither, with not but love to fill my stomach~" She sighed again, though this time less exaggeratedly and dramatic, and more just out of annoyance. Then, she sat back up on her keister, scooched on next to Yumeiko, grabbed the other fox by the arm and said, with eyes staring into her fellow fox's.

"No, but really. I need food. Let's go."

With a speed usually not seen in the elder fox, she was on her feet, and Yumeiko was yanked along - whether the golden haired fox liked it or not. Arms locked, tails entwined, taking a whiff of her favorite's shampoo'd hair, and they were off! Out of the room, through the hallway of their apartment and to the door. The door, leading out into the compex. The complex where blooduscking midgets and snarling wolf-amazonesses dwelled. Ye gods! What terrors this brave woman of culture would dare feace in order to find sustenance!



Late to the party, but fashinably so, the two japanese monsters entered the den of eatings. There was a sizable gathering of folks here already - some of who weren't even residents of building 1, althoguh Miyuki had no such knowledge - after all, she hardly knew any of the neighbours. Speaking of neighbours, there was the bug-man from this morning, the one who'd spoken with the cute horse-girl. The dark fox hadn't had a chance to speak with him before he'd retired.

And there... Was the snarling savage who'd beaten her neck-biting assailant. Yup. That sure was her. Looking like she'd done nothing to nobody and chatting away happily as if her paws (hands?) weren't used just hours ago to rip someone a new orifice. Miyuki wrinkled her brow at the sight of the crazy-pants wolf-woman. Hopefully, she'd not notice the pair.

There were some others too... Like a middle-easter-looking man.. Who... Smelled.... AWFUL! What was that!? How was that?! What in the seven hells and nine heavens could possibly cause something, someone, to smell this horrid? This wasn't just bad, this was a stench that transcended all logic and rationale! It was like a tyre-fire had had a baby with a bloated rotten corpse, while bathing in swamp water and eating raw sewage - and that still wasn't an apt or close enough description to whatever pungent aroma this individual was giving off. In a rare moment of utter lack of politeness, and spurred by self-preservation, Miyuki raised her free hand to coveer her mouth and nose as the duo passed by the stinking source of unbearable odors. This was someone she wanted nothing to do with, that's for sure! Not unless he took a bath! A really long, thorough bath. In vineager.

Next up on the list wa-- Oh great...! It was her. The offender. The villain. The one who had dare to blemish the impeccable skin of this delicate and frail maiden, pure as snow and innocent like the lamb. She was sitting at a table, facing... An old man... Had... Had she seen him before? She couldn't reclal. He looked a bit familiar... But then again, all old men looked the same, more or less. They seemed to be engaged in some sort of game... It looked simialr to shogi, though with more elaborate pieces to move. Was it some kind of westernized version of the board game? No, that wasn't important! The important thing was that the neck-biting shrew was here! In iher dining hall! Nonchalantly playing games of all things! The nerve of this wench! How dare she!?

Miyuki growled slightly in a very low tone, while briefly narrowing her eyes at the culprit in question. But 'twas but for a moment. She turned ehr head instead to Yumeiko, who was a far more lovely and pleasant sight to look at anyway.

"So, dearest one. What would you like to eat tonight? I hear the chef here is quite skilled, allegedly~" Some of Miyuki's tails began to wag slightly, possibly intrigued and looking forward to tasting actual cooking that wasn't just, y'know, breakfast.

... However, there seemed to be some kind of ruckus over at the kitchen. A pig-looking fellow was waving his arms, and kitchen wares, around in a dangeorus fashion while seemingly scolding a much larger, brutish, and thick-looking sort of person. The fox wasn't familiar with either of these two either. Hopefully, nothing bad had happened to the kitchen or the food there-within. After all, the line was almost all but gone at this point, so if they couldn't get any food...!

... Heads would roll...

---

---

Qaymu

---

Bldg 1, Restaurant

---

Qaymu's right eyebrow quirked upright, Mr. Spock style, but he smiled.

"I didn't think you played anymore," the dragon said, a pleased rumbling coming from his chest. "Just video games. I played Asteroids, once."

"You're looking much better," he added, his hand reaching to slide his pawn to E5. A rather standard opening, and he saw no reason to sacrifice a pawn so soon.

"So, not working tonight?" he asked. "You could probably do with a rest after a morning like that."

_{Late Afternoon
Building 1 Cafeteria
Interacting with: @Expendable Qaymu}

---

Velvet laughed lightly, moving a pawn to F4 and then leaning her chair back on two legs. Raising her arms above her head, she gave a tremendous stretch, also trying to feel out her arm's state. At her wince it could be surmised that it really wasn't that different to when she awoke; but ughhHHHHH she wanted it to stop hurting and feel better!

"Ha, go easy on me; it's been a couple centuries since I last touched a chessboard! Would be cool to play with you more, kinda missed it and doin' it online's not the same."

Then, at Qaymu's question on how she was doing, her bright grin got a little smaller, but she gave an almighty shrug. "Yeah, dunno if you heard but I got caught out in the sun this morning for like, a whole half an hour. Felt like death for real. Then I did the whole stupid thing and all." She perked up again when he mentioned her job, though, and she laughed again. "Nah, I work part time. Monday, Wednesday, Friday nights. More than enough--enough for--"

The grin dropped from her face and she let out a soft grunt of discomfort and set the chair back on the ground. Tossing her head around, she confirmed: the golden fox had arrived, and now Velvet was in Moderate Discomfort Hell. Turning her attention back to the board and Qaymu, she forced a smile. "Ah, sorry 'bout that." She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at the monster in question. "Goldie's basically a living crucifix."

Location: Building 1: Ground floor, Reception
Interactions: @LupusIntus

---

Theria stood in the center of the reception area, her sharp gaze scanning the space as the small blue slime wobbled at her side. The evening had taken an unsettling turn, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something larger was at play. The flicker of the desk lamp and the murmurs of the cafeteria crowd added to her growing tension.

The sound of a light cough pulled her from her thoughts. Max, who she had seen go to the restaurant, was now approaching the desk. Upon hearing that Max had come to tell her, Theria groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Of course. Why wouldn’t the fridge break, too? Thanks Max.” she muttered.

Theria leaned heavily against the desk, her mind racing. Dishwasher, phones, TV, fridge—what was happening to the building? Her snakes, sensing her stress, also started to stir restlessly on her head.

Her thoughts spiraled, jumping from one issue to the next. Could it be a magical surge? An internal sabotage? A fault in the building’s infrastructure? Every possibility seemed worse than the last.

The sharp ring of the phone startled her, making her jump slightly. The blue slime at her feet wobbled in reaction. Theria snatched up the receiver, her voice tight with urgency. “Theria here.”

“Finally got this blasted thing working.” came Guz’s raspy voice, his tone gruff but triumphant. “Landlines are back up.”

“Thank the Fates...” Theria said, exhaling a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding while also pressing the hands-free button. “Guz, you’re on speaker. It’s me and Max here. You wouldn’t believe the mess...”

“Save it.” Guz interrupted. “I already know. Dishwasher, phones, fridge, probably more by now. It’s gremlins, Theria. Saw the little pests scurrying around the wiring in the maintenance tunnels.”

Theria stiffened. “Gremlins? Are you sure?”

“Positive. Probably slipped in through one of the service vents.” Guz grumbled. “They’re chewing through wires, messing with circuits, the whole works. I’ve started setting traps, but it’s gonna take a while to get rid of ’em all.”

Theria rubbed her temple. “Gremlins...” she repeated, her voice flat. “Of course it’s gremlins.”

“Best advice?” Guz continued. “Keep everyone out of the maintenance areas, and try not to let anything important fall apart while I deal with this. And, uh, might want to warn the residents—those little guys love shiny stuff.”

“Understood.” Theria said, her tone clipped. “Do what you can, Guz. I’ll see how I can help from up here.”

“Sure thing.” Guz replied before hanging up with a loud click.

Theria lowered the receiver and stared at it for a moment. Gremlins. Just what she needed. Straightening, she looked toward Max and the cafeteria.

“All right. Max, could you tell Borkus what’s happening? Maybe also warn the residents in the restaurant. I’m going to check the manual for what to do in these cases.”

She glanced down at the little blue slime, who tilted slightly as if awaiting instructions.

“Regina, you’re probably watching...” she said. “Guz may need help finding the gremlins. Can you send your little ones to him?”

Without a sound, the little slime merely started moving towers the outside of the reception area, a sign that Regina had heard the request.
After that, Theria opened the cabinet named “emergencies” and flipped through the various files until she found the Gremlin section. She took a quick read through it and gasped... This couldn’t be right...

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

Borkus, standing near the fridge, noticed the arrival of Miyuki and Yumeiko through the small service window. They had arrived, and even though it was going to be a surprise, he felt the need to apologize to them. He motioned for Gurnak to follow him while also making sure that someone else was not taking over the soup.He stomped toward the dining area, where a lively assortment of mythical beings was enjoying their meals. Clapping his hands together, his voice boomed over.

"Listen up, everyone!" Borkus’s voice carried a mixture of authority and weary determination. "We got a bit of a situation in the kitchen. Fridge gave up the ghost on me… no offense to any ghosts present… and a bunch of tonight’s supplies are shot. Menu’s gonna be a little limited." He glanced around the room, his ears twitching with frustration. "But don’t you worry! Me and the team are gonna do our best to make sure you’ve all got your fill. Just bear with us, yeah?"

After the notice, Borkus exhaled heavily and made his way to Miyuki and Yumeiko. "Ladies..." he began, clearing his throat. "I had somethin’ planned for ya tonight. A surprise dinner. Somethin’ real special." He rubbed the back of his neck, his ears still twitching. "But the fridge... it gave out on me. Everything spoiled. The tuna sashimi, the dashi broth, even the tempura I had prepped. It’s all gone."

Borkus continued, his tone now slightly softened. "I wanted it to be perfect for ya, but it ain’t happenin’ tonight. I’ll make it up to ya tomorrow, though. Fresh ingredients, the works. That’s a promise."

Gurnak chimed in, his voice a low rumble. "Boss’ll have it ready. Even better than what he planned for tonight."

Borkus nodded firmly. "Yeah. I’ll make sure it’s worth the wait. But for now... I’m sorry. I really wanted this to be somethin’ special."

---

Location: Building 1, lobby
Interactions: @Morgannis, @Lugubrious

---

Iris peered at Alphonse as he gave a nervous chuckle. She let a bright, wolfish grin cross her face as she gave him a light bump with her hip. “Hey, don't go sweating it.” She stepped closer to him, as if making herself a physical barrier between Alphonse and the large group of residents in the cafeteria. She straightened her back, bringing herself to her full height even though at her full height she found she was still just a smidgen shorter than Alphonse. “You got me.” She sent out a challenging gaze out to anyone who caught her eye before she peered back at him over her shoulder. “Nothin' will happen to you while I'm here. Don't worry.”

And that was when the commotion in the kitchen started. Iris snapped her head in that direction, tuning into the sounds from within the kitchen. The fridge was on the fritz. All the food in it was spoiled. When she heard the lamb Borkus had planned for her was ruined, Iris felt a little saddened. She didn't know that Borkus had planned her a meal like that and then lost it. It was a shame, really. One she would have to just get over. She didn't even know she was going to get a special meal so losing it wasn't too much of a lose.

“It sounds like the fridge is out. They didn't catch it in time. The food in it has gone bad.” A look of disappointment had settled on her face at the thought of having fresh lamb for dinner. Man that sounded so good right now. Thankfully, she did have a large filling of protein earlier that day. So she wasn't in desperate need of it now. “Including my lamb.” She sighed as she shrugged her shoulder. “C'est la vie.” She peered around the cafeteria, watching the tables fill up quickly. At this point, many of the tables were being taken. Very few were left open at this point and, of course, the few who were sitting alone. Iris's eyes kept moving to Khalid as he got his food and took a seat. She wanted to talk to him about the therapy he was offering the residents.

“Perhaps, we should find ourselves a seat. They're filling up quickly. I also would love to talk to that Shoggoth about the therapy he is offering.” She peeked at Alphonse before nodding to the table Khalid had taken for himself. “You are, of course, welcome to go and do your own thing. I don't mean to drag you along without you wanting to.” She slipped her hands into her pocket and waited a moment before heading to the table, whether Alphonse followed or not. She pulled the chair out and flipped it around before sitting down. She rested her arms on the top of the back before she rested her chin on her arms. “So,” she began before she locked her eyes on Khalid. She was trying so very hard to ignore the smell of the Shoggoth. It really was so strong. It helped that they were in a wide open area like the cafeteria. She was just worried what the therapy sessions would be like, trapped with that stench in a small room. They would have to cross that bridge when they come to it.

“Therapy huh? So, how would that work? Have you worked with werewolves before? Would I be your first one? Where did you get your license from?” She paused a moment before she narrowed her eyes on him. “You do have a license, right?” Can monsters get licenses? She supposed they could, as long as they looked like her of Khalid here. Someone like Alphonse would find it hard to go to a mortal class without people freaking out. So it wasn't completely unrealistic to assume he would have a license for therapy. Or did monsters have their own therapy licenses and classes? That would be interesting but if monsters did more than just try and survive from day to day, one would hear about it, right? Unless, unless the more sophisticated monsters had their system buried within the human system. That could work. Maybe, they just followed the same standards but tweaked it a bit to make up for the fact that the client-base are monsters and not humans.

Iris's gaze lost focus as she found her thoughts falling into the rabbit hole of just what monsters could do, if they wanted to. After all, why stop at therapy. Did they have their fingers dipped into all the things mortal? Are there really lizardmen running the government? They could, if they really did have the ability to shapeshift. But why would a monster want to control the world anymore than a human? They were just trying to survive like everyone else. She would definitely have to look it up when she gets back to her apartment. Only then did she remember her phone was destroyed and her focus seemed to return as she frowned. She still needed a new phone and maybe get a computer.

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

Miyuki’s playful retaliation was cut short by another reminder of the time of day. She’d been giggling and protesting and pressing into her lover when the body behind her suddenly flopped down with drama. The spirit fox kept herself upright and watched the kyuubi with a wry smile before finding herself grasped again and met with the demand for food. ”Alas, even so much love cannot fill an empty stomach. A shame.”

For once, Miyuki was the one leading the charge somewhere. Yumeiko found herself being brought along behind the elder fox. This sort of situation meant things were dire, indeed.

---

The cafeteria seemed to be particularly crowded that evening. At least, she hoped this was busier than normal. There was that woman that had passed by herself and Ryū that afternoon - thankfully, she’d found a change of clothes. There were some residents she’d seen that afternoon, but not met. She noticed quickly the same aura from the lobby- ooh, was that the source of the stench? She hadn’t caught it before, had she been upwind? It seemed almost too powerful to be blown away, but that was silly. Right? Right.

Yumeiko took Miyuki’s arm and clung to it, hearing the tension from the other as the kyuubi noticed what she considered to be offensive presences. When she noticed the cursed woman from that morning, the spirit fox nestled up against it to draw the other’s attention to more pleasant things, but it seemed as though Miyuki was already of the same mind. The elder’s stomach was a powerful motivator, after all.

Before she could answer the question posed to her of their meal, the chef came forward, himself. He seemed a humble sort, though he clearly took pride in his art. The slightest gasp escaped her nostrils at the delivery of the news - dire news, indeed. Miyuki was terribly hungry, it wouldn’t do to disappoint her. “Your fridge.. and all that food? Oh, how awful! That all your effort went to waste like that.. It sounds like you really went to great lengths to prepare a meal we would love.” Were her circumstances stronger, perhaps her Goddess could provide, but.. what about that cursed woman? She had to be careful if she wanted to throw around sacred powers or divine favors.

She smiled softly for the chef, giving Miyuki’s hip a little squeeze as the chef and his assistant gave their pledges, “We look forward to your promised meal, dear chef. Miyuki was just telling me she’s heard great things about you. She won’t forgive you if they aren’t true, at this point.” Yumeiko offered a teasing grin, glancing at her lover.

”Aah, but that leaves us with what to eat now. No meat, or dairy, or eggs.. oh dear.” They really did like eating perishable foods, didn’t they? ”How about a good fried rice? Or perhaps a curry? Miyuki?” The blondie turned her attention to the dark fox and put a hand on her back, rubbing lightly.

Cautious, perceptive, and borderline paranoid by nature, Khalid had a knack for detecting problems. Such skills were vital for survival in supernatural fields of study like his, and with so many monsters nearby today, the investigator was on high alert. From the moment he first set foot in the cafeteria, he’d gotten the sense that something was off about the place, but like any good scientist he couldn’t jump to conclusions right off the bat. Maybe things were just bound to be different in a busier, livelier cafeteria like this one, or maybe his reservations were playing tricks on him. Nevertheless, he kept a sharp eye out, and after finding somewhere to sit and partake of his dinner in relative peace, he could gradually come to the conclusion that something really was wrong in here.

Luckily, it seemed to have nothing to do with him. A disproportionate number of the monsters in his vicinity seemed annoyed or dissatisfied. Nobody appeared to be angry enough to make a scene or anything, but the put-upon communal air could hardly be denied. The incredulous looks that various monsters offered to their friends, and the reluctance with which they dug into their fare, suggested that they’d been forced to settle for food that hadn’t been their first choice. Add to that the urgent activities of the restaurant staff, and Khalid could only conclude that something must be amiss in the kitchen. What that might be he couldn’t guess at, but it didn’t concern him unduly. Though certainly more scrupulous than his amorphous companion, Khalid wasn’t picky, and the cooks had done an admirable job of supplying the evening diners in spite of their technical troubles. So Khalid munched away in content and contemplative silence, idly curious about whatever might be going on behind the scenes, but much more concerned with anyone who might work up the courage to pay the alleged Shoggoth a visit.

And for once, fortune smiled upon him. Khalid noticed the tall, wiry woman on a collision course with his table well before she reached the social boundary. Never an optimist, though, he forced down his premature excitement. Khalid tried not to notice her, lest he appear overeager or quick to assume, until Iris stopped right in front of him and made her intentions unmistakable. When she spoke, offering a simple ‘so’ in lieu of an actual greeting, he sat at rapt attention with his eyebrows raised. It took several seconds -just long enough to make his brows crunch together in a questioning manner- for her to get her thoughts in order. It did occur that she might be bothered by the admittedly rather offensive smell given off by Horace, which he could never quite get used to himself. He wondered if she’d be brave enough to bring it up–if the monsters here were too polite to say that someone smelled bad, they really had been tamed.

When Iris finally said something, she let loose a barrage of questions that took Khalid somewhat by surprise. They suggested a somewhat skeptical nature, but a complete lack of any actual prior knowledge about therapy itself beyond vague preconceived notions. That was good, since it gave him more free reign. An informed skeptic with something to prove (or disprove) was the last thing he needed. Only her last, more pointed question gave him pause, though luckily the woman’s mind seemed to wander after she asked, almost to the point of disassociation in fact. If she meant to catch Khalid in a lie, however, she would be disappointed. Naturally, he’d already considered this angle, and workshopped that he believed to be a satisfactory -and satisfactorily honest- answer.

Khalid tented his fingers and offered a polite smile. “Allow me to assuage your concerns. I am not a licensed professional…yet. I am, however, a graduate student with years of painstaking study under my belt. Neuroscience, atypical psychology, behavioral study…you get the drift, I’m sure. I am in the process of accruing clinical hours for the sake of licensure. It’s one of those ‘intern with six years of experience’ things. This is why my services are free of charge, you see. Professional therapy can be miserably expensive. So while there are certain things I cannot do, I have very strict rules to follow, and every incentive to provide as much genuine help as I possibly can.”

“As for how ‘therapy works’, well…” Khalid clasped his hands and shrugged with a gentle, pleasant expression on his face. “We would just chat. You could tell me about yourself, your story, what’s on your mind, any problems or struggles you might be experiencing…whatever you’re comfortable sharing. While I might prompt you here or there, you’d never have to say anything or answer any questions you don’t want to. My goal is to give you an outlet for your worries and fears, a safe space where you can be heard, free of bias and pretense, and to treat every monster -regardless of species- with the compassion and humanity they deserve. And of course, our sessions would be strictly private.” Khalid tilted his head slightly, his eyes inquisitive. “Well? No charge, no commitment, just two people engaged in as much -or as little- honest conversation as you wish. Can we help one another?"

Qaymu

---

Bldg 1, Restaurant
@Lemons - Velvet

---

"Ahh," Qaymu sighs, scratching his head, "It has been too long for me, as well. I'm lucky that I get the pieces in the right order. "

His nose wrinkled, taking in the rank odors coming from the spoiled food in the kitchen. He didn't need to be fed daily, although he knew he needed to be careful about snacking. He'll have to check to make sure when his food arrived later this week, it was delivered on the day and kept in the coolers.

His hand hovered over the board, then he picked up his Queen's knight and moved it to F6. There would be problems later, to be sure. He had started playing with his adopted daughter, she was very clever in her responses, not unlike Velvet. Hopefully he wasn't playing with her grandchild - that would be awkward.

"How do you like working at the bar?" he asked. "Do you enjoy being among the people? Or...?"

Qaymu smiled delicately. It was always best when you could pick and choose your dinner, but he didn't think she'd hunt a regular. Too easy to track the victim to the killer, like that mess in London.

_{Late Afternoon
Building 1 Cafeteria
Interacting with: @Expendable Qaymu}

---

Waving her hand dismissively with a chuckle, Velvet shook her head. "'Fore you ask, no, I don't eat from 'em. I don't really see the point these days, you know?" She slid her pawn at F4 to E5, grabbing Qaymu's newly captured pawn and tossing it up and down in her hand a couple times before placing it to the side. "Plenty of ways to get blood nowadays that don't involve attacking people, I only do it when I'm really running low on choices."

She leaned her head back, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to ignore the angry gnawing at her insides that Goldie brought as she thought about the question for a few moments. "I enjoy bartending just fine. I...like making things, you know? You can only spend so many centuries as a vengeful goddess of the night before it gets...kinda boring?" She ran her tongue over her fangs in thought. "I'd probably do it every night if it wouldn't cut into my video game time!"

The levity in her voice faded, and she heaved a long sigh as she remembered her...edgy phase. "I got put to sleep right before they invented lightbulbs, so imagine my shock when I wake up a hundred fifty-some years later and we have video games and Wi-Fi and rum raisin ice cream."

She eyed him curiously. "What about you, Qayqay?" she asked with a smirk, "What's your story?"

Locationn: Umbra Rose Condos, Bldg #1, Bldg #1 Cafeteria
Time of Day: Late Afternoon
Relevant Cast: @CitrusArms Yumeiko, @Lemons Velvet, Others at the Building #1 Cafeteria by proxy of vicinity

---

Miyuki's irritation at the sight of the neckbiting shrew was, at least momentarily, abated by the gentle nuzzling of her companion. It was enough for the time to calm the older fox spirit down and amke her focus on what really mattered. Which brings us to the crux of the problem.

The pig-like being who she had seen from afar earlier when she and Yumeiko entered now stepped out of the kitchen, waddled over to the both of them, grabbed his chef's hat in both hands, and began to apologize. Apparently, this was the rumored cook, huh? Kinda of ironic seeing a bipedal pig be the one standing around, chopping meat and putting hams into ovens... But perhaps he was merely pig-like and not an actual, y'know, magic pig who had somehow gained sentie--

-- Wait, what was that about the food? About all the food...!?

The busty black-haired vixen could mentally perceive herself dropping to all fours, before being swalloed up by a black whirlpool of despair and slowly fall down into a spiralling abyss, all while screaming at the top of her lungs in a horrified, exaggerated and somehow comedic fashion. Luckily, none of that actually happened, but it sure did feel like it could've. Before she could tear the gross piglet a new orifice for his negligience though, Yumeiko spoke up and - as was the norm for the golden goddess - spoke both calmly, gently and diplomatically.

Now how was she supposed to rip this guy a new one when she went and did stuff like this? Honestly, that girl...

Recovering from her reeling realization that all rations had rotted and their runbling stomachs were now resigned to remain restless and ravenous, Miyuki let out an irritated sigh before replying to the cook and his aide herself.

"Yes, quite. I'm very good with curses." Apparently the joke Yumeiko had made had now somehow actually turned into a legit, underhanded threat. "While I can look forward to the promised meal of the morrow, that doesn't solve the immediate problem. Is there anything to eat tonight? Or should we excuse ourselves to go hunting on our own?" The fox with the endowments said, eyes half-closed and mouth drawn into a thin line, as a few of her tails flicked sporadically in tense frustration.

This day had just been awful. First she gets assaulted when she helps someone. Then she gets accosted at breakfast. And now she was going to starve because there was no dinner? Truly, this was the worse, and there had never been anyone in all of history who had suffered scuh grievous harships as her this day! While she could... Appreciate... The chef's attempt at placating and promising them the world for the next time, she wasn't hungry then, she was hungry now. Her eyes slowly sacnned the dining area, wandering to see what the situation was like for the others.

Then she spotted it. And a wry smile slowly crept across her face. It was not a good smile.

"We'll have a seat, dear chef, while you check if there's anything for you to bring us." Her voice was suddenly disturbingly friendly, and that shadow over her eyes didn't exactly lend itself to making her seem less ominous.

Grabbing Yumeiko's arm, she pulled the golden haired spirit fox with her, moving to a table that was vacant. A table... That was neighbouring the neckbiter and her dandy-of-a-man whom were playing that silly shogi-knock off. Normally, the fox would never have deigned to even get close to this offensive woman ever again... But irritation, denial of food and the promise of making someone else's evening a bit more unpleasant was all the motivation she needed. After all, the midget had been noticeably affected by Yumi's presence in the morning, so it stood tor eason that having the demi-priestess as a table neighbour would, at least, bring her a mmodicum of inconvenience. Which would make Miyuki happy.

In an uncharacteristic display of gentlemanly-ness, she pulled out a seat for, and ha Yumeiko sit down - back towards the table with the two board gamer players, while she took up the seat on the opposite end, so she could watch the two aformentioned ones. Her golden purple eyes sparked with a mix of mischief and disdain.

"Let's take our time and give that poor man all the time he needs to fetch us our dinner. It can't be helped if these electronic doodads break doiwn, after all." ... She was being very tolerant about this whole thing, for being Miyuki...

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_{Location: URC 1: Reception —> Cafeteria
Time of Day:Late Afternooon
Relevant Cast:@dragonydas@BunniesOfDoom@Morgannis@Lemons@Expendable[@Lugrubrious]}

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“Of course. Why wouldn’t the fridge break, too? Thanks Max.” she muttered.

“Glad I could… help?” Max said with his most apologetic smile. Before he could suggest calling the utility company or a fridge technician or a priest who specialized in exorcisms (Could demons possess an industrial fridge?) The phone rang and he listened to Guz explain the situation. His face paled slightly at the mention of Gremlins, he knew what they could do if left to their own devices. They’d made THREE whole movies about them, for goodness sake! Though he thought the last one might have gone straight to video… He cursed himself for not asking Gus if they were still in their cute fuzzy state, though he figured the mischief and disturbance they were causing gave him his answer.

“All right. Max, could you tell Borkus what’s happening? Maybe also warn the residents in the restaurant. I’m going to check the manual for what to do in these cases.”

“Right! Borkus! On it!” He gave a proper salute and turned towards the cafeteria but stopped to check his watch. “And don’t worry, Theria, we still have a long while till midnight so we have time to hide all the food and block off the pool.”

With that he power-walked back to the cafeteria which had become even more crowded since his earlier visit. Residents stood impatiantly, grumbling as Borkus and his staff ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, desperately trying to salvage what food they could. “Uh… Borkus?” Max said as he approached the counter, far too softly to be heard over the general din. “Borkus?” Lasting fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas were laid out along with half a dozen types of bread, cheese, and non-perishable spreads which seemed to quiet a few of the less-picky eaters but even more were residents were heading out for food, heads shaking in disappointment just as others streamed in. “Hey Borkus?” Max was really not the best person to send in to command this situation.

Location: Building #1; Cafeteria
Interactions: Miyuki @Xaltwind, Borkus @Dragonydas
Mentions: None

Oh dear. Miyuki was making sarcastic suggestions. She was getting irritable. It could be such trouble to mitigate Miyuki’s bad moods, she’d better figure something out. Before Yumeiko could think too much about her course of action, she heard a highly suspicious change in the tone of the elder fox. She glanced her lover nervously before begin taken by the arm and whisked away. As she was spun about, she reached out with her blessed tail and brushed Borkus with it. By imbuing him with a blessing, perhaps she could aid in turning this whole mess around?

Miyuki.. pulled her chair out for her? Yumeiko watched the other with a wary gaze. This was extremely unusual behavior. She was being too understanding, and too courteous, even to the golden fox. She knew something was up with this new compassionate demeanor, especially as the kyuubi motioned to bide their time indefinitely. Miyuki hadn’t had lunch. There was no way.

She took her seat graciously, flirtatiously brushing her tails against her lover as she did, “normally, I’m the only one you might show this much patience to. Miyuki-chan, nani suru~?”

Qaymu

---

Bldg 1, Restaurant
@Lemons - Velvet

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"My story?" Qaymu asked, amused. "Well, I was the runt of the litter, so at some point I got pushed out of the nest. While I couldn't fly yet, I tumbled very well."

The dragon chuckled to himself.

"Fortunately for me, I was found by a circus. They put me in a cage, took care of my wounds, and for a time," he shrugged, waving his right hand palm up for a moment, "I was a side-show attraction. A profitable one, too. But as much as they were taking advantage of me, I was taking advantage of them. I watched - I listened. And I practiced. Then one morning, when I was ready, I said 'good morning' to the child who came to tend me."

"Ah, you should have seen his face!" Qaymu laughed. "He gaped at me, pissed himself, then ran off to fetch the ring master. Of course, the ring master and the head roustabout came over and stared hard at me. I coughed, trying to clear my throat, then the ringmaster turned to the boy and demanded, 'he talked to you?' So I said, 'I do beg your pardon, but I am terribly parched. Might I have a drink of water?'"

"A very interesting conversation, that day," the dragon said, sliding the knight's pawn to B6. "Naturally, the ringmaster preferred I didn't talk to the punters, afraid his circus would go up in flames, no doubt. And I got quite the earful from Ms. Beng, my neighbor. She was the circus' tiger."

"I made some promises, and was granted some liberty when the circus was closed, spending many an hour in the ring master's wagon, learning to play chess. As far as the punters were concerned, I was just a trained animal. I can still remember my stage fright! However, this was not to last, and it came time for me to make my own way in the world. As I was searching for a suitable cave, I came across an overturned royal carriage and men fighting over her. So I swooped down and rescued her."

"I was prone to much foolishness in those days," he sighs. "Not knowing who to trust, I raised her myself in as humanly a fashion as I could."

He gave a shrug, leaning back. "I couldn't leave her with anyone, so I made a comfortable home in a cave and raised her myself."

_{Late Afternoon
Building 1 Cafeteria
Interacting with: @Expendable Qaymu @Xaltwind Miyuki @CitrusArms Yumeiko}

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The chess momentarily forgotten, Velvet listened with interest to Qaymu's story. Tried to picture a child dragon tumbling down out of a nest, being kept as a sideshow attraction. In a cage. The thought brought her no small degree of anger; while she'd met very few dragons in her lifetime, long as it was, she knew quite well that they were incredibly intelligent, and often tended towards being fiercely independent.

But then he mentioned raising the princess, and a smile came back to her face. Not the same kind, though; soft, sad. "Lucky princess. It's clear you hold her close." Pitching her head back, she stared up at the ceiling, looking for patterns nobody else could see. "I had two children, once. A long time ago." The smile stayed affixed to her face. "The vampire that turned me murdered my daughter, and my son died in infancy." She exhaled a steady breath. She almost wished she could feel sad about it, but it had just been too long. Still, her conversation with Suzy had reminded her, and now it was on the brain.

"I was born in the early 1300s, after all. It's not like health care was—"

She shifted in discomfort again. The effect of that woman's presence was growing stronger, somehow. She gave her head a distracted shake. Then another, as it redoubled over again. She flicked her tongue anxiously against a fang, wincing as she jabbed it.

She'd almost forgotten she was playing chess. Her whole body ached; nothing like what it had felt like before, when she was running on empty, but damn uncomfortable all the same. So, trying to focus and not succeeding, she picked up her queen and slapped it down at F3. She usually wouldn't move it so early, but these weren't normal circumstances.

It was then that she heard voices behind her, coming rapidly closer. Nursing a terrible premonition, she slowly turned. Aaaand there it was. Goldie was barely a few feet from her. Two steps and she could've touched her. Facing away, of course, and facing toward her? That Miyuki woman, giving her the most shit-eating grin, if only with her eyes. With a heavy sigh, she turned in her chair. She was going to find the woman eventually. Might as well be now; saved her the trouble.

"A-Ano, Miyuki-sama...shitsurei itashimasu..." She mumbled under her breath, "sono na wa tadashii desho?" After a moment to consider passed, though, she sighed heavily, stood, and immediately went into a full saikeirei., speaking with a quiet, level voice. "Miyuki-sama, watakushi no itashimashita koto wa o-kantan ni wa yurusaremasen, wakatte imasu." She took a long breath. It had been ages since she'd spoken in any kind of formal Japanese, hopefully she was getting it right.

"Watakushi wa yajuu to doutou no koui itashimashite shimai, tsutsushinde owagi moushiagemasu." She dipped her bow even lower and held it for a few moments before she straightened up, trying to ignore the gnawing pain that ate away at her from being this close to Goldie. "Moushiwake gozaimasen deshita." She sat suddenly as her insides twisted and a powerful wave of nausea washed over her, an expression of misery obvious on her face.

This sucked. And, she realized with some level of horror, she was actually remorseful. For drinking a little while she was starving.

The hell was going on with her?

Location: Building 1: Ground floor, Reception
Interactions:
Theria->Everyone
Borkus->@Xaltwind, @CitrusArms, @LupusIntus

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The Mischief Accord.
Theria scanned the emergency manual quickly, her heart sinking as she read the terms. The gremlins had been invited to take up residence in Umbra Rose decades ago. In exchange for their dwelling rights, they were to cause controlled mischief at random intervals, sparking a game among the residents. The agreement dictated that the gremlins could wreak havoc for a limited time, and residents were tasked with hunting them down. Prizes would be awarded based on how many gremlins were captured and delivered to the front desk.

She slammed the book shut, her snakes stirring restlessly on her head. “Unbelievable,” she muttered. “They turned chaos into a game.”

Theria walked to the intercom system, her fingers brushing against the ancient microphone. She pressed the button, the system crackling to life as her voice resonated throughout the building. Thankfully, it was working.

“Attention, residents of Umbra Rose,” she began, her tone professional despite her simmering frustration. “This is Theria. I need your attention for an important announcement regarding tonight’s... inconveniences.”
She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “The disruptions you’ve experienced tonight are part of an old accord between Umbra Rose and its resident gremlins. As outlined in the Mischief Accord, these gremlins are permitted to cause random mischief, and it is your task to capture them. This is a sanctioned event, and prizes will be awarded based on the number of gremlins delivered to the front desk.”

The intercom crackled as she let the information sink in for a moment. “Here are the rules. Captured gremlins must be alive and unharmed. Bring any you can find to the front desk for counting. Once all the gremlins have been captured, or time is up, the resident with the most captures will receive the grand prize. There will be additional prizes for runners-up. The time limit is midnight. The grand prize today is a voucher for a free item from the outside world. A new appliance... a new couch... a new smartphone... You name it.”

Her voice steadied, becoming sharper. “I expect everyone to handle this responsibly. If you have questions, I’ll be at the front desk. Happy hunting.”

She could already hear the sounds of excitement bubbling up from the cafeteria. Chairs scraped, voices rose in laughter and challenge, and the building came alive with an electric energy. Residents, from harpies to goblins, were gearing up for the hunt.
Theria slank into her chest, steeling herself for what was bound to be a long and chaotic night. “Let the games begin,” she said under her breath, just as the first resident burst into the lobby, grinning and holding up a squirming, disgruntled gremlin.
—-------------------------------------
Borkus gave a small, apologetic bow to the two oriental ladies. "Thank ya kindly for understandin’,
" he said, stepping back from their table. "I’ll have a quick curry rice prepared for ya. It’s not the feast I promised, but I’ll make sure it’s somethin’ worth your time. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure it’s a meal worth rememberin’. Tonight... well, we’ll make do."

As he turned to leave, he felt something brush against his side. His eyes widened slightly, but when he glanced around, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Shrugging it off as the bustling of the dining room, he made his way toward the kitchen. The sounds of the residents laughing, chattering, and speculating on the "mischief" spread through the hall, making Borkus even more anxious to get to work.

As he pushed through the swinging kitchen doors, he muttered under his breath. "This day just keeps gettin’ better and better." He barely had time to pick up his ladle before he heard a voice calling out to him from the counter.

Borkus turned, his brow furrowing in irritation as he spotted Max, the human receptionist, calling him out from the counter. With a groan, he set down his ladle. "Hold the fort, Gurnak. I’ll be right back."

He stomped over to Max, wiping his hands on his apron. "What’s the big deal, Max? Can’t ya see I’m up to my neck in work here?"

Right after that, a crackle from the intercom filled the air. Theria’s voice echoed through the kitchen and beyond.

"Attention, residents of Umbra Rose," she began, her tone calm yet commanding. "This is Theria. I need your attention for an important announcement regarding tonight’s... inconveniences."

Borkus raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Gurnak, who had paused mid-slice to listen.

"The disruptions you’ve experienced tonight are part of an old accord between Umbra Rose and its resident gremlins. As outlined in the Mischief Accord, these gremlins are permitted to cause random mischief, and it is your task to capture them. This is a sanctioned event, and prizes will be awarded based on the number of gremlins delivered to the front desk..."

The rest of the announcement played out as Borkus crossed his arms, his face contorting into a mix of confusion and irritation. When the intercom finally clicked off, he turned to Max with a confused look, motioned for him to follow and then stomped back toward the kitchen.
"Gurnak," Borkus started, his voice low with frustration, "what in Tartarus is she talkin’ about? Gremlins? Mischief Accord? What kinda nonsense is this?"

Gurnak chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Ah, boss, you weren’t here for the last one. It’s a gremlin hunt. The residents love it. Catchin’ the little buggers, bringin’ ’em to the front desk... good fun for them. Keeps the mood light, y’know?"

"Light?!" Borkus barked, throwing up his hands. "I’m runnin’ a kitchen, Gurnak, not some circus! And now I gotta deal with gremlins makin’ a mess on top of a busted fridge?"

Gurnak grinned, unbothered by Borkus’s tirade. "Aye, it’s a pain. But you’ll see—it’s good for the residents. Gets ’em movin’, gives ’em somethin’ to do. And by the end of the night, they’ll all be talkin’ about how much fun they had."

Borkus grumbled, running a hand down his face. "Fine, fine. If it keeps ’em outta my hair, then so be it. But if one of those little gremlins gets in here and touches my pots, there’ll be Tartarus to pay!"

Gurnak smirked, returning to his chopping. "I’ll keep an eye out, boss. You might even enjoy it. Residents gettin’ along, havin’ a laugh—it’s good for the place."

Borkus snorted, grabbing his ladle again. "I’ll believe it when I see it, Gurnak. Now get those carrots diced. Limited menu or not, people still gotta eat." He then turned back to Max. "Now what did you need Max?"

As the kitchen settled back into its rhythm, the faint sound of laughter and excited chatter from the dining hall hinted that the building was already alive with the thrill of the hunt.

Location: Umra Rose Condos, Bldg #1, Cafeteria
Time of Day: Late Afternoon
Relevant Cast: @CitrusArms Yumeiko, @Lemons Velvet, @Expendable Qaymu, Potentially Other Cafeteria Patrons

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"Be. Tsu. Ni~"

The older fox wagged her tails lazily and had a pleasant-enough smile on her face, as she was leaning slightly forward over her and Yumi's table, resting her head in the palms of her own hands while supporting her head thusly. Although her expression wasn't menacing or giving anything in particular away, the mischief in her eyes were unmistakable. The black-haired woman watched with silent bemusement as the target of her justified vengeance began to stir. Miyuki didn't even acknowledge the chef's offer to bring them some curry, nor acknowledged his dpearture. She had looked to be in far better shape now than when they had encountered her during the morning, but for how long could she endure the presence of Yumeiko's divine aura? How long could she spend seated, trying to ignore the sensation? For how much longer could sh--

... What? She broke already? Weak. How boring.

The tiny fiend turned her head and looked their way, then stood up. She didn't move far though, barely even away from her own seat. Then it began. The tirade of tired platitudes and insincere apologies. Granted, she was speaking in her native language, and perhaps she had somehow thought that this would earn her bonus points, or somehow appease the victim of her crimes. It did not. If anything, it only served to infuriate the vixen. But, she listened. Her mouth drawn into a line of non-expression, her eyes blank and void, like liquid helium, her body still and motionless, as if she'd stopped breathing and been frozen in time altogether. She listened. She heard. She noticed. ... And then the bitch just plopped her ass back down on her seat, not even waiting for a reply.

What the hell was that supposed to be...? She didn't even perform a proper dogeza, or wait for me to fopgive her? Is she mocking me?!

Miyuki remained silent and unexpressive, with the exception that the tips of her tails flicked in a displeased, irate fashion. She wanted to get up. She wanted to rise out of her chair, walk over to the table of that little shit woman and yank her by the collar, hoist her up and lay in to her. But! ... She couldn't do that. And there were a good number of reasons for why.

The first, obviously, was that this unfamiliar place was unknown to her. While the savage beast-woman from before may not have been an ally of this little bloodsucker, there was no telling who was. For all she knew, that gentleman she was playing the boardgame with could be a backer or lover. ANd while she was confident in her own abilites, Miyuki was not so arrogant or foolish as to try and start something when she didn't know the strength or number of her opponent.

Secondly, there was Yumeiko. Her precious little Yumi. Not only would starting a scene upset the golden one, and promptly earn herself a scolding later, but there was also the matter of her safety. While Yumeiko was no doubt stronger than Miyuki if given the time needed to prepare - that was just it. She needed tiem. In a surprise attack or impulsive brawl, the younger fox was ill-equipped. Sure, she could stand her ground, but not as well as her elder. And if Miyuki started something now, there was no guarantee that Yumeiko wouldn't become a target for later, later when she was alone or seperated from her guardian. She couldn't afford it. She couldn't put her life's light to be put into potential harm's way. There'd be other opportunities. Isolated opportunities.

Thirdly... She was hungry. And doing streneous stuff on an empty stomach was not the Miyuki-way.

So, for now... The little maggot could be left alone, to sit there and rot in the wake of lover's heavenly retribution. A fitting fate for a filthy fly who thought to feed on the fantastic fox. At least this thought was some solace to the entire matter. Far more so than that empty and vapid display of regret and meaningless words. Not only had her choice of words been obvious and cliché to the point of almost triggering an involuntairy gag-reflex, but she had the nerve to belittle beasts? Well, she was a human. A cursed one. But still a human, so it wasn'st that strange. They sure did like to talk down to the true monsters whenever they could, didn't they? Always thinking they were so superior.

What a joke...

Straightening up in her chair, brushing a few strands of her own hair out of her face, and turning her eyes - previously filled with pure, unadulterated disdain - to face Yumeiko, causing them to soften a bit.

"Well now... That was a strange coincidence, hm~? I guess she felt the need to say soemthing about this mroning." Apparently, Miyuki was going for the: Oh, I surely didn't know or notice that she was even here before!-route of explaining this little debacle to her beloved... Her face was still fairly stiff and unamused though, and her tone of voice was dry, nearly to the point of monotone.

At some point, some loud, unpleasant machines sparked to life, and the voice of the glasses-wearing front desk woman began to speak, all through the cafeteria. Unfortunately, Miyuki was a bit too pre-occupied with coming up with terrible, atrocious and unreasonably cruel ways to make the little neck-biting mongrel suffer an eternity of regret, to really pay attention to what was being said or why... Scary lady is scary. And very single-minded!

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