---

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

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---

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

---

Before Iris could answer the shoggoth on the matter of therapy, Alphonse offered his own two cents in the matter. Iris peered over at the mothman before nodding enthusiastically when he asked if mattered where the therapy took place. If they could take their sessions outside, the smell from the Shoggoth would be so much easier for her to handle. It wasn't that she disliked Khalid. It's just, her senses were more advanced than the average human and this man had a very pungent odor to him. She didn't want to tell him, outright, that he had a stench to him. She hoped he understood that on his own. She didn't want to explain to someone that he really, really stunk. Like, pinch your nose and back away stunk and for someone like Iris, that smell was intensified. It was almost as if she stepped into a swamp that had been left to cook in the summer heat. It was rank. She couldn't even help it as she reached up to rub her nose for a moment, trying to cleanse her nostrils of the smell.

When Khalid asked if Iris was interested in the therapy, she gave a swift nod before extending her hand out to the man across the table. “You've got yourself a deal.” Talking about her life and the things that have been bothering her sounded like a solid idea, at least. Whether or not he would want to continue with her after the first few sessions have yet to be seen. She was sure she wasn't going to be too much of a hassle for the therapist when it comes to tragic backstories. She really only had one thing happen that jump started her whole monster career and even though she didn't really talk about it to anyone, she wasn't exactly hung up on it. At least, as far as she was aware. It was just something that happened and caused her to start a new life elsewhere. Her real problems, at that moment, were the wolf. They were always at odds, trying to fight for control. If she could find a better way to talk with the beast and actually get along, that would help solve a lot of her issues. Perhaps even start making way to having some control over herself during the blood moons.

Then the intercom crackled and Iris heard the sweet assistant manager come on and tell the whole apartment complex about the gremlin games that had officially begun. A large grin broke her face in two as she listened and when the message finished, Iris swiftly stood up from the chair. Excitement boiled in her chest as she peered around the room. A game has begun. A hunt. She gave out a hearty laugh at the idea of it. This was her favorite event to go on in the apartment complex. Each year, she was free to let herself loose within the halls to track down and capture as many gremlins as possible. It was fun for her and the wolf, even if she didn't fully take on the wolf's form while playing. She figured it wouldn't be very fair for the others if she decided to wolf out and go barreling through the halls, especially after that morning. Best to keep the beast leashed for now.

She turned towards Alphonse, light blue flecks of color dotting her normally honey brown eyes. “Oh, a game indeed! A hunt!” She was taken aback by the change in her voice and paused. She clenched her fists by her side a moment as she closed her eyes while taking a deep breath. They were getting far too excited and needed to take a moment to settle down. She slowly began to bounce on the balls of her feet as she took another deep breath. She shook herself out like a runner preparing for a race before she stilled. When she opened her eyes, they were back to the normal color with no signs of blue within them. “Sorry about that.” She gave a nervous chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I got a little too excited.” She turned to face the shoggoth, giving a broad smile. “So, Mr. Therapist. You joining us for some hunting fun?”

As Khalid said his piece, he made sure to give his prospective client every bit of attention that she deserved, but he could not fail to notice others as they overheard and took interest in his pitch. The arrival of Alphonse was something of a surprise, since he wouldn't have expected the rather reclusive mothman in such a crowded public space, especially given how jam-packed the Building One cafeteria happened to be tonight. He was a welcome addition to the conversation, though--sensitive and thoughtful types like him were definitely Khalid's target audience. And if their introversion meant that they had no shoulders to cry on before him, all the better. The eruditionist made sure to meet Alphonse's shiny compound eyes a few times and send a few words in his direction to make sure the cryptid felt included.

After Khalid posed his final question to Iris and the werewolf began to mull over her thoughts in silence, it was Alphonse who spoke up with a question of his own. It concerned the location of his therapy sessions, and Khalid was only too happy to furnish him with an answer. "Not at all. My clients and I can chat wherever they feel comfortable, so long as we can be reasonably assured of privacy." He knew better than most, after all, that most folks were more liable to clam up rather than open up when exposed to Eau de Shôggôth. With that very particular fragrance involved, even basic interactions could be a hard sell.

As it turned out, though, Iris didn't need any more convincing. The werewolf announced that she'd give it a try, and while Khalid limited his expression to a politely genial smile, his inner voice was whooping with delight. Rather given to paranoia, he'd grown more convinced that he'd never even get this far as the day dragged on, and yet against all odds, here he was: sitting across from his first client. It was only the first step on his narrow road to success, but to begin was half the work, as they say. "Excellent. I'm grateful to be given the chance to help. Here." He slid an Al-Azif Shoggoth Therapy card across the table for Iris to collect. "Please call or text with a time and place that suit you. Oh...but you need a new phone, don't you?" He suddenly recalled what Iris said in the lobby that morning. "No matter, we'll figure it out. I look forward to getting to know you."

As he spoke, Khalid re-evaluated Iris somewhat. The two of them had a surprising amount in common, and it was probably no coincidence that the two found one another. They were both born human, but made monsters by the caprices of circumstance, and they shared something that set them apart in both worlds. Even if Khalid had ulterior motives, he did not want to let Iris down, nor betray her trust. This would be a tricky tightrope to walk, but if anyone could do it, it was him.

Before Alphonse could rejoin the conversation, an announcement resounded through the cafeteria. While not thrilled to be interrupted in the middle of an important pitch, Khalid tented his hands and listened with furrowed brows as Theria explained what was going on. So gremlins were the ones responsible for the technical difficulties encountered by the kitchen staff. Though the creatures were elusive even by monster standards and not well documented, he'd done enough general research to be familiar with their habits, and this fell well within their expected capabilities. What puzzled him was the fact that the condos' resident gremlin community seemed to have entered a pact with the management, displaying a capacity for reason and temperance that he'd never heard of before. As far as he knew, gremlins were more like computer viruses than thinking beings. He wasn't especially interested in a gremlin scavenger hunt, but if the population here had truly been brought to heel, that definitely warranted further study. Plus, it couldn't hurt to build a little camaraderie with his clients.

Khalid returned the smile Iris gave him as he rose, gathering his plates and silverware for disposal. "I see no reason to decline. I'll lend you a hand. After all, if you manage to win a new phone, we'll be able to stay in touch, hmm?" He checked on his satchel's contents, then readied the bag for travel. He would follow behind Iris so that the Shoggoth's pungent smell wouldn't interfere with her tracking abilities. "All set," he said with a thumbs-up. "After you."

Qaymu

---

Bldg 1, Restaurant
@Lemons - Velvet

---

Hmmm, Qaymu mused. Older than I expected. Good move, I'm likely to lose this game. I really should have played more, there's so much rust here.

He glanced up at Velvet and frowned. "Are you...?" he began, but she had started talking to the Japanese girls. The one's aura was interesting to watch. He wondered briefly if she'd ever learned how to contain it, having noted its effect in passing on others. Even ordinary humans were affected - although both did have a certain appealing appearance to humans that might excuse it.

He gave them a wary but respectful nod.

The assistant manager's announcement made him frown in concern. Gremlins running lose in the building? And she wanted them caught and handed over? He was not even going to be allowed to roast a few? Well, he could still use his flame as encouragement.

Location: Building #1; Cafeteria
Interactions: Miyuki @Xaltwind, Velvet @Lemons
Adjacent: Qaymu @Expendable

Miyuki said she wasn’t doing anything suspicious. Ooh, but what Miyuki says and what Miyuki does are two different things. Yumeiko watched her lover for a moment before she heard a voice from beside her. She’d barely encountered the woman that morning, so the sudden apology from an unrecognized voice was surprising. When she turned to see what this was all about, it all suddenly clicked.

This is what Miyuki was doing. The fox in question attempted to brush the latest development under the rug with some really weak excuse.

A slow sigh escaped her as her eyes slid over to stare oh-so-pointedly at Miyuki. When Velvet sat back down, Yumeiko breathed in and closed her eyes, focusing for a moment as she shifted again. Her ears folded down and into her hair as round, human ears emerged from the side of her head. Her fur shrank away and her sacred markings disappeared. Her aura shrank. She’d been too panicked that morning to think of this, but now that Velvet didn’t look like she was dying from Yumeiko’s presence, it was a lot easier to think clearly.

“Excuse me,” She began, turning to face Velvet’s seat and smiling gently at the woman, “you’re from this morning, right? You’ll have to excuse me for that. It didn’t occur to me that some residents here might be harmed by my aura. It’s kind of obvious, in hindsight. I’m used to that one,” she pointed casually at Miyuki, “and we seem to more.. cancel each other, rather than burn each other. Please forgive my oversight. Is this any better for you? I’ve never really had to suppress myself, before.”

An announcement interrupted them. Theria, the snake woman at the front desk. Gremlins? Some kind of little critter, they were to capture but not harm them, and the winner of this contest would win a prize?

“Ah, what a wonderful opportunity to let out some frustrations. It’s been a while since we’ve been on a good hunt, right, Miyuki?” Rather than let you incite this incident further.

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

---

Velvet wasn't stupid.

Well, she admitted to herself, she was perhaps rather foolish sometimes. Hence the last move she'd made on the chessboard, for example. But she knew from the look on Miyuki's face that the apology hadn't done much. It might've actually made things worse. And perhaps now she was glad that she hadn't spent much time interacting with the black fox before. Yes, all of it was definitely Velvet's fault, she should've been able to resist drinking from her that morning. But she put out this...vibe of selfishness and arrogance that radiated off of her like the sun and kind of reminded Velvet of her super cringe younger self who thought herself above everyone. And she didn't really want to deal with someone like that right now. Everyone goes through a phase like that, but at least Velvet eventually grew out of it.

It was as she was thinking about this in an effort to not feel the full-body ache and sickness--mind over matter only went so far, unfortunately--when her thoughts were wrenched violently back into the present as the pain suddenly--

Well, it didn't stop, per se. She could still feel it bubbling up inside her, could still feel the divinity seeping off Goldie and burrowing into her bones. But it wasn't even a comparison to before. Like the feeling of ten silver crucifixes right in front of her had turned to a single golden one, and had been placed a hundred feet away. Not absent, but easy to ignore. She was taking a sudden deep breath in shock at the unexpected relief when Goldie suddenly chimed in. And smiled. Not a malevolent promise-of-pain smile that Velvet was used to (both receiving and giving at this point), but a real smile. A soft smile; a gentle smile; and Velvet suddenly realized that all of Goldie's foxlike features had faded away before she'd opened her mouth. She just looked like a human now.

She was...nice. Really, genuinely nice. A welcome change from most of Velvet's interactions, and she felt a smile almost as real and genuine creep over her face. She let out a long sigh of relief. "God, is it ever better!" She raised her arms above her head and took a long stretch, wincing slightly at the pain that was still present in her arm but still very clearly relieved. As she made to speak again, she was cut off by the crackling of the PA, followed by Theria's announcement. She raised her eyebrows. Gremlins, huh? She'd seen them once or twice. Which meant...she sniffed the air, searching intently. Nothing; there were too much people in the cafeteria, way too many, and any of the sour notes of gremlin blood were drowned out by the dark, alluring scent of Miyuki's blood--damn her--and everyone else besides. Still. A hunt, huh? It had been a long time since she'd hunted...

...Did she want to change that?

A moment later she came back to earth and remembered what she'd been saying, then returned her attention to Goldie. Now that she was paying more attention, her blood had an almost...floral smell to it. Like light champagne to Miyuki's Cabernet Sauvignon, and would be fairly tempting if it wasn't also part of a divine being and may or may not destroy her from the inside out. Now, where was she? Right. "Your presence isn't trying to invert me anymore, it feels great." Finally done with the stretch, she dropped her arms down haphazardly to her sides, and her smile turned to one of her more common half-mischievous, fang-baring grins. "Never introduced myself, did I? Velvet, Velvet Coventry. Part-time bartender for The Alibi downtown, full-time higher vampire. You ever thirsty for blood or booze, I'm your girl."

She leaned back in her chair again, taking another long breath and gesturing towards Miyuki. "So, what's up with Miss Tall, Dark, and Sexy over there?"

SaM Of AlL cOlOrs

In his room, Sam was fast asleep, not hearing any announcements. He held his favourite Body Pillow close to him for comfort. Sam was violently awakened by the sound of his phone alarm going off. Panicking, he noticed the time he jumped out of his bed. Cursing himself for staying up to watch an all-night marathon of Sailor Moon. He rushed over to his closet, getting ready for the day. Quickly, he headed towards the cafeteria, hoping to get something to eat. As he got inside, he saw a bit of commotion going on. He wondered what was happening and thought Azir might know what was happening.

Sam looked around the room for the ogre, noticing the ogre eating a lot less than she usually would during dinner. “Hello, Azir. Did you see the Sailor Moon marathon last night?” He asked while sitting beside her. The ogre looked quite annoyed while playing with some cabbage. It took her a moment to respond to Sam’s question.

“I only caught a little bit of it. I had a date, so I could only watch a bit of the marathon.” Azir said while eating the measly food on her plate.

“Oh, was it with someone from here? Or was it a human? And do you know what is going on in the kitchen?” He asked, looking behind him at the kitchen staff frantically running around.

“It was with a skeleton named Ducky, he's a funny guy. I think you'd like him. Yeah, something happened to all the electronics and stuff; they said it was some gremlins that sneaked in and destroyed everything. The owner wants us to hunt them down. I wouldn’t mind hunting some of those bastards for ruining my dinner. Do you want in?” The ogre smiled, feeling her bloodlust rise. “We’d get something good if we get enough of them. We can team up and split the prize.” She added.

Sam wasn’t sure if he would be able to catch any gremlins. However, he wouldn’t mind helping his fellow neighbours with this problem. And perhaps the prize would be worth all of that effort. “Sure, let’s do it. But where should we start?” He asked while getting out of the chair. He was going to get something to eat before starting this hunt. They discussed their plan as they ate what food was left in the kitchen.

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, @Lemons Velvet, @Expendable Qaymu, @Dragonydas Porky Borkus

---

Miyuki's ears twitched and flitted a bit when her companion suddenly decided to take on her purely human form. Such a waste... And her face soured a bit further after the golden one turned to speak with the tiny trollop. It soured even further when Yumeiko apologized and acted cordial towards the other woman. What? like she hadn't attacked me earlier this morning? A bunch of empty words doesn't fix things like that.

She then watched in utmost disdain as the short little miscreant began to act all casual and comfortable again, doing silly things like stretching and plopping herself down on her chair without a care in the world, looking over at Miyuki with that 'Eh, I tried'-look in their eyes. As I thought. Just a bunch of empty words from a vapid human. How typical. She was used to it, of course. Back in the days of the Imperial Court, there'd been no shortage of supplicants and people who bowed, scraped, begged, pleaded and apoligized or asked for forgiveness. All empty and hollow platitudes in order to save their own face and skin, of course. But things were different now. She could no longer punish offenders even when they deserved it. She couldn't reject apologies of insincere self-preservation even when she knew they were fraudulent. Now, she had to just sit and play nice with everyone... It sucked. Perhaps that wws one of the very few things she actually missed about interacting a lot and directly with humans. Having the authority to decide over them, or at least influence their fate by proxy of another.

She sighed to herself, lost in thought. Eyes having drifted off to stare into the vacant abyss of nothingness. A pass-time that had become more frequent with age, and more frequent than she'd care to admit.

But, the voice of the pint-sized pest piped up again, and she was brought back from her stroll down memory lane. This time the creature asked a rather rude and offensive querry. What's up with me? What's wrong with you is the question here, shrimp. Although she heard the question, although she could have answered it herself, she didn't. The conversation was between Yumeiko and this... Thing... There was no need for ger to get involved or partake in their little exchange. Although, she would need to have a few choice words with Yumeiko later tonight...

The black fox let her eyes move past the miscreant and instead landed on the gentleman who'd the aforementioned one had been playing that board game with. He seemed more interested in their little match than in engaging in any sort of way with this little pow-wow. A reasonable choice. Why step into a hornet's nest when you didn't need to, or had no business there in the first place? She could appreciate that. ALthough, if he was a friend of this one... Chances were it wouldn't be long before he jammed his foot into his mouth as well. Miyuki sighed again.

Her attention then fell towards the kitchen-area, her eyes narrowed.

"Is that little piggy going to bring us that food anytime soon I wonder...?" She said with an exhausted exhale. Her stomach was still growling and protesting at the lack of nourishment it had received during today.

---

---

Qaymu

---

Bldg 1, Restaurant
@Lemons - Velvet : @CitrusArms Yumeiko, @Xaltwind Miyuki, @Dragonydas

---

Qaymu sighed, tipping over his king.

"Ladies," he said, rising as he tucked his pipe into his smoking jacket. "Please excuse me. Gremlins just get worse the longer they're left, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to interrupt our game, Velvet."

With that, he strolled out of the restaurant, heading towards the restroom. Once safely ensconced inside a stall, he hung up his smoking jacket and began his spell. His human appearance faded away as he began to shrink until he was the size of an action figure. Unfolding his wings, he few up to the ventilation grill and tore a hole in it, slipping inside.

"Well," he grins toothfully, "Let's find us some gremlins."

Rebecca Holloway
Building 1 Cafeteria

The meal was amazing, but it was also the last she'd have of it for a while apparently. She looked up as she heard the announcement. Gremlins? She'd never heard nor seen a gremlin. Then again, she'd seen a lot of things that could be considered to be not exactly common knowledge when she was in combat. Many things she'd rather not revisit. She took up her empty plate and dropped it in the dish bin. Much of the other residents were getting their stuff together. Fixing to catch these gremlins themselves. It seemed fun, but she wouldn't want to participate. Too much time in the jungle laying traps to kill and not capture. Well, she had done a few prisoner snatches in her time. But still, she was too used to the killing. Plus it'd be kind of unfair for her to do so to the others.

Rebecca turned and saw Khalid. She remembered him from before. He was talking to another resident that she hadn't remembered the name of. She was always like that in the morning. But something about Khalid didn't sit right with her. To be more precise, something hanging around him was putting her off. She stared at him. If he met her gaze, she'd hold it for a split second with his before turning away. Well, like it or not, there was still foolishness afoot. Much as she didn't care for a prize, Rebecca did care about one thing overall. She wouldn't let those gremlins have the run of the place, lest they get into her room. She considered rigging up an M18 Claymore mine towards the front door just to further dissuade. Maybe later, but not right now.

---

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

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Location: Building #1; Cafeteria
Interactions: Miyuki @Xaltwind, Velvet @Lemons
Adjacent: Qaymu @Expendable

The initial relief had already worn off by the time the announcement had ended, but Velvet decided to elaborate. The golden spirit fox nodded, smiling openly, ”I’m glad. It wouldn’t be good for us, as neighbors, would it? A few of her tails flicked gently behind her, under the level of the table top where they wouldn’t bump anything or shed on anything. Another reason to brush their tails regularly. Miyuki could be careless.

”Yumeiko no Akame no Kami, Yumeiko will be fine. You work at a bar called the Alibi? You don’t often need one, do you?” Puns always were big, back home. ”Think I’ll pass on the blood. Alcohol, though.” Yumeiko gave a grin, a thought crossing her mind. Yes, alcohol. Aah, but how to go about it? She’d have to consider that.

Tall, Dark and.. Sexy. Yumeiko gave the other fox a slow glance before turning back to Velvet. The barest blush betrayed her. Judging by her mood, it was perhaps best to be flattering. The spirit fox cleared her voice subtly as she gave a particular look to Velvet, trying to convey the hint of placation with her eyes and not her voice, ”Her Augustness Miyuki no Suzuyami is not used to interacting with those not of an imperial bearing directly. This change is an ongoing adjustment for her. I do hope we can put the regrettable incident this morning behind us.”

She turned her head to hear Miyuki, nodding softly, ”it can’t be easy, cooking under these conditions. Hopefully, things can go better for him, at least. Messing with our food is too much, we’ll have to-” without harming them, huh? “mnnn.. be sure to catch plenty of them quickly and end their mischief.” She had to wonder if such vengeance would satisfy Miyuki.

”We should probably eat, before hunting, if that’s how they want us to play..”

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

---

As Goldie--Yumeiko--spoke to her, Velvet felt the last embers of her resentment gutter and die. She was just...so sweet. Almost toothachingly nice, in a way that people had seldom been to the vampire, and she finds herself matching the golden fox-turned-human's smile with her own. The pun didn't hurt either, and the smile broke out into a low chuckle before she could stop it. Now that it wasn't so hazardous around Yumeiko, Velvet could finally count the girl as someone who was pleasant to know. "Yep, night shifts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You should come down, I've got a whole drink menu for my own signatures. I think...you'd probably like the Faros Lighthouse."

Then she heard a sound from behind her, and jumped. She'd almost forgot that Qaymu was there, she realized, and a rush of guilt flooded through her. The sound was the king clacking down, and him offering a quick explanation, then rising and making to leave. He was interrupting their game? Done playing. She sighed, looking down at the board. She hadn't known how much she missed chess until--her face cleared up, and she slipped her phone into her hand, snapping a quick photo of the board before calling after him. "You don't think you'll escape, do you? No no. Once you're all done with this whole 'hunting' thing, we're going to continue this game!"

By the time she'd turned back to the pair of foxes, Yumeiko was just shifting her attention back as well, it seemed, from Miyuki. Her pulse was newly elevated; her body was warmed with racing blood. A little could be seen on her face as well, just to add more to the tangle. Oooooh. Interesting. Well that explained why they were constantly together, didn't it? Yumeiko's blood might've had an alien smell to it, but it was still similar enough that Velvet could tell what the scent of desire (or love, but it was sometimes hard to tell between the two) was.

Then Yumeiko spoke again, and Velvet had the good grace to appear embarrassed, and her mood grew a bit more subdued. Imperial bearing indeed. She let Yumeiko finish her discussion with her lover (partner?) before she interceded, not formally apologetic but still so, clearly. "I meant what I said, at least, Suzuyami." Was it still polite to use the last name in English? She wasn't sure. "Insincere as you think I may be, I am sorry, truly. I was starving, and my instincts took hold and wouldn't let go." Hopefully Miyuki would take it as sincere instead of simply an excuse, but frankly Velvet didn't expect much of her. She sighed, her good mood...well, it wasn't shot per se, but it was certainly reduced, and her voice became somewhat flat. "I hope the two of you enjoy your hunt."

Then, in a mumble more to herself, "I hope the freezer is still running..."

SaM Of AlL cOlOrs

Location: Building 1 Cafeteria
Interactions: N/A
Time: Late Afternoon

After Sam and Azir finished their food, the two of them headed back to Azir’s room. Returning to the cafeteria a few moments later, armed with what they’d need for the hunt. Sam was armed with a giant net. Azir meanwhile brought with her a massive club. “I don’t think the club will be necessary; we will need them alive to get the prize. The more we are alive, the better our chance of collecting the prize.” Sam shook his head with a smile on his face. However, he wasn’t sure if the managers wanted the gremlins alive or dead.

“Tsk, it’s more fun to make those bastards pay for messing with the food. But eh, I guess you got a point.” The ogre shrugged, placing the club over her shoulder. The two were left inside the kitchen, with Sam investigating the area for clues. Azir, meanwhile, was walking around the area, listening carefully for any gremlins that could be hiding. Each time step she took made the floor shake.

Location: Building 1: Ground floor, Reception
Interactions:

---

Theria smiled as she marked the first gremlin caught. Apparently, one of the gremlins had been seen terrorizing a group of cleaner slimes, and one of the residents—an ogre—had intervened just in time to hear the announcement.

“Thank you, sir. Your capture has been recorded. Just leave him on the desk here. They are bound to not leave this place once they are caught. Happy hunting,” said Theria, watching as the ogre skipped back toward the entrance.

Meanwhile, both Layla and Xena were watching the gremlin carefully, just waiting for any sudden movement, though Theria knew that, during the game, all rules had to be followed.

Theria looked at the gremlin as it paced on top of the desk. “Zylphorik, I presume?” she asked, mentioning a name written within the Mischief Accords.

The gremlin turned sharply, his oversized ears twitching as he scrutinized her. “Yes, that’s me. But… who are you?” he asked, his tone skeptical. “Where’s the manager?”

Theria crossed her arms, keeping her tone steady. “The manager is currently on vacation. I’m Theria, the assistant manager. I’m handling things in her absence.”

Zylphorik’s eyes widened briefly before he burst into a sharp laugh. “The manager left? During this? Oh, this is too good. She left the assistant manager in charge of one of the most chaotic nights of the decade. Perfect!”

Theria’s brow furrowed, though she refused to rise to his taunts. “I wasn’t informed about this event until it started happening. I found out about the Mischief Accords just earlier tonight.”

Zylphorik grinned mischievously, adjusting his tattered coat as he took a seat on the edge of the desk. “Ah, that explains the frazzled look. Don’t feel too bad... Most assistant managers are clueless about the accords until the fun starts. Anyway, I always make it easy to catch me. It’s tradition. I’m the first gremlin to be caught. Every. Single. Time.”

Theria nodded, her expression neutral. “That much I gathered from the document. It’s all part of the agreement.”

Zylphorik gave an exaggerated bow, his grin widening. “Exactly! A game’s no fun without rules, after all. My job is to set the tone and watch for any rulebreakers. But don’t think for a second that my capture means the fun is over. The others out there... they’re craftier than me. And I assure you, the real mischief is just beginning.”

Theria nodded again, refusing to let his dramatics rattle her. “Good. A little challenge keeps the residents entertained. Now, as per the rules, you’ll stay here at the desk. Once captured, gremlins can’t leave until the game is over.”

The gremlin flopped onto the desk dramatically, sprawling as though it were a throne. “Yes, yes. I know. But don't worry about me getting bored... Watching you try to manage all this will be entertainment enough.”

Theria turned back to the entrance as more residents with captured gremlins burst trough the main door. The sound of excited chatter echoed from the hallways as residents eagerly embraced the hunt.

Though she remained focused on keeping things running smoothly, the night’s surprises continued to weigh on her. The fact that she hadn’t been briefed on the Mischief Accords left her uneasy, and she couldn’t help but wonder what other ancient agreements were buried in the building’s history.

Still, Theria was determined to adapt. Whatever chaos the gremlins had planned, she’d face it head-on and ensure the residents had a night to remember.

---

Borkus gave the pot of curry rice a final stir, the rich aroma filling the kitchen. He tasted a spoonful and nodded in approval."Perfect. Gurnak! Get this out to the ladies in the dining room—tell ’em I made it fresh for ’em, and I’m sorry again for the mess tonight. Gotta make it right tomorrow."

Gurnak wiped his hands on his apron and carefully lifted the tray with two steaming bowls of curry rice. "Got it, boss. I’ll make sure they get it. Smells like ya nailed it."

Borkus waved him off, already turning to another bubbling pot. "Just make sure it gets there safe, eh? Can’t afford any more disasters tonight."

Gurnak made his way to the oriental ladies’ table, balancing the tray with practiced precision. He opened his mouth to greet them. "Evenin’, ladies. Boss sends his—"

Before the sentence left his mouth, a screech pierced the air as a gremlin burst through the ceiling tiles above, flailing wildly. With a loud thud, it landed directly on the tray. Gurnak froze, his eyes wide as his body went rigid. "What in the...?!" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

The sudden impact sent the tray flying from his hands. The bowls flipped dramatically through the air before crashing to the ground. One of them exploding in a messy heap directly at the feet of Miyuki. Gurnak stood frozen, his mouth agape as he stared at the scene. The gremlin, cackling maniacally, scrambled off the mess and darted under a nearby table, leaving chaos in its wake.

"I... I..." Gurnak stammered, his hands still hovering in midair as if the tray were still there. "I don’t even... what just...?"

---

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

---

At the thought of her lost phone, Iris's demeanor turned a hint sour. She was not a fan of being reminded that she needed a new phone. She took the card with her lips pressed together in a thin line on her face. “Yeah, a new phone is definitely on the to-do list at the moment. You would think after all these years I would have been smart enough to know the wolf would destroy it but ya know, a girl can hope.” She pocketed the card with a self-indigent grunt. She needed to get a job or do something that would get her some extra cash.

Thankfully, that gremlin hunt message came like a gift from the almighty himself. Not that she really believed in a god so much anymore. She was never really religious to begin with but getting changed into a werewolf and left for dead kind of killed any hope that some great, loving god was out there protecting his children from evil, from things like the creature she was turned into and the creature that lurked within her mind. For the most part, it's just a big puppy that wants to play and have fun but she has seen the true carnage a werewolf can do and she has felt the pull of the red moon before and has lost herself to its call more than once. Years of work and control has made her an acceptable member of the residents in Umbra Rose Condos but Iris still had a long way to go before she felt she could ever really step back out of those protective walls surrounding the apartments. She wasn't sure she would ever trust herself to be out in the general populace again. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if what had happened to Velvet happened to a normal person. That person would probably be dead or worse, changed.

Iris gave her head a small shake to clear those grim thoughts from it. Now was not the time to linger on such things, not with a hunt just waiting for them to get it started. Just thinking about it had her metaphorical hackles rising. Her skin practically tingled and she could feel the push of the wolf just simmering under her control. It knew the game and it knew the best way for them to play without them getting disqualified or for Iris to lock them up for months on end. Help by lending senses and hunting skills but leave the body under Iris's control. It was one of the few times the two of them could work together for a common goal, a teetering balancing act that let them come together and use each other's strengths. Though it doesn't always work out well, Iris has gotten better at recognizing the signs of when she needed to back off and take a moment to wrangle back some self control. However, sometimes she can find herself too deep into the hunt to realize how quickly she was losing control and some years, it's the wolf who would end the game, tearing the halls apart in its efforts to find the gremlins and getting the both of them into trouble. She wasn't going to let that happen this year though. She was going to practice the best control she ever had in her life.

Iris followed the mothman out and began to stretch in the hallways. She began by doing the normal stretches like any runner would, limbering up as if she was about to run the halls at full tilt but then let out a low groan and did a few more canine-esque stretches to sate the complaining wolf within her mind, which, thankfully, resembled her doing quick yoga stretches. The wolf swore it would help them move faster and she did have to admit, a few muscles did feel more limber after doing so.

Iris peered up at the air vents when Alphonse mentioned them and gave a strong nod of her head. “That seems like a good idea to start with. I can probably jump up there and climb into the air vent if you do find one but it's better if I don't have to jump up and check every air vent we come across. If you have an easy way of doing it, that would be good.” She gave one final stretch with her arms over her head and let out a loud sigh as she shook herself out, bouncing from one foot to the next. She then stilled herself and closed her eyes, taking a deep inhale of breath.

The scent profile of the air was a cluttered mess of monsters and creatures, new and old. She wasn't sure what kind of scents she was hoping to get here in the hallway just outside of the cafeteria but it would allow her to at least get the scents of monsters who were most likely not trying to hide away from anyone. Newer and familiar scents were locked away and then there it was, just a like dash of gremlin, a scent she knew from tracking it before, sprinkled in within the mess of people. Older, possibly by a few days, too faint or cluttered for her to track but the scent was there. She refamiliarized herself with it. She followed it, taking quick short inhaled as she tried to follow it's short trail. Eventually she found herself crouched down low by the front doors of the cafeteria, taking a long deep inhale of the little critter's scent. For whatever reason, days ago, a gremlin had crossed by the doors of the cafeteria and lingered there just a moment longer on its path. Doing what, she couldn't know. Judging by the spot, perhaps it was trying to mark its territory? Do gremlins do that? She would have to research them more. Maybe after they won the hunt and she got a new phone.

She crouched on her hunches for a moment as she rubbed her nose. “One of the little buggers stood here a few days ago but its trail is long gone. I think it might have peed here or something. That's all I got though.” She leaned her head back, peering up at the air vent with a huff. “I guess it's time to start looking through the vents. We know they hit up the kitchen area some time recently. Kind of. I think.” She swiveled on her heels to look at Khalid. “Do you know how long it takes for food to go bad in a fridge that's lost power?”

Once Alphonse joined in, the makeshift team of three was ready to begin their search. Though amused at first by the idea that an ideal team-building exercise had fallen right into his lap, Khalid quickly realized that this veritable snipe hunt wouldn't be all fun and games. For one, while it seemed like the gremlin hunt and the Mischief Accord responsible for it were somewhat well-known and well-established within the Umbra Rose Condos, the same couldn't be said for Khalid himself. Owing to his relatively recent arrival within the complex, he'd never participated in such an event before. Whether this occurrence represented officially sanctioned collaborative activity with the gremlins or merely some sort of trumped-up ritual, the occultist was a complete novice, without any idea of where or how to begin.

Khalid knew just enough about gremlins themselves to know that this would be extremely difficult. After all, the core conceit of the little monsters was causing mayhem with such discretion that a victim would never in a million years imagine that an actual troublemaker was behind it, as opposed to technological incompetence and sheer bad luck. Still, Khalid supposed that in this case, the destination wasn't the point so much as the journey. Winning this little game would be a nice feather in his hat, and a solid start to his professional relationship with his client, but as long as they built some sort of rapport it would still be worthwhile. On a semi-related note, he couldn't help but wonder what other secrets Umbra Rose might be hiding. The name of the complex was so tantalizingly evocative, after all--if a beautiful flower could bloom in the shade, those shadows could conceal just about anything.

The three set off together, Khalid puzzling over a satisfactory answer to give to Alphonse. It would take time to concoct a solid plan of attack, but since this was a competition, time was a luxury the three didn't have. Gremlins could be lurking anywhere and everywhere, and the places most likely to hide them would probably be off-limits to residents, making them difficult to access. There was no end to the amount of chaos the gremlins could cause if they went for the condos' electrical or plumbing utilities. Conversely, Khalid didn't know why a gremlin would hide in a vent, as opposed to the air conditioning units themselves, but he didn't want to rain on Alphonse's parade. As the taciturn therapist-to-be continued to workshop a plan in his head, Iris detected something, but after a moment's investigation it turned out to be a false start.

"Two days?" Khalid repeated, his brow furrowed. Considering the gremlins running rampant in Umbra Rose right this instant, could she really find nothing more recent? Or perhaps, as with dogs, she was simply more attuned to certain kinds of smells. With that in mind, the trace she found could even be a red herring, left purposefully to mess with condo residents like her. "If any perishable is left unrefrigerated for two hours, it should be considered as spoiled," he replied to her absent-mindedly, his lips pursed in a frown. "Hmm. Rather than chase our own tails, we should compose a strategy. Gremlins are extremely quick, stealthy, and perceptive. I'm reasonably sure that I can snatch one if I see one, but a good gremlin never allows itself to be seen. They lurk in our peripheral vision, so subtle that we can never be sure they're truly there at all." He pinched the end of his mustache as he thought. "We can, however, use their impulsive natures against them. If we can make them underestimate us, we can lure them into a trap." A serpentine smile spread across his features. "Let's go somewhere where they're sure to be. The electric room. Of course, we'll need help from a janitor or technician. Or...someone small enough to squeeze beneath the door and unlock it from the inside. Once we're in, we must make a scene of calling them out and bumbling around uselessly. Demonstrating that we're nothing to be afraid of will entice them to make sport of us, like children poking a tiger through the bars of the cage. Their confidence will be their undoing." He looked around at the others, curious to see if they'd agree.

Locationn: Umbra Rose Condos, Bldg #1 cafeteria Caféteria
Time of Day: Late Afternoon
Relevant Cast: @CitrusArms Yumeiko, @Lemons Velvet, @Expendable Qaymu (briefly), @Dragonydas [/center] Gurnak, @Massasauga Rebecca Holloway, Anyone else still in the Bldg #1 Cafeteria's dining area

---

More back and forth. Useless, pointless prattle. The only time Miyuki even glanced over or reacted to the conversation between her dearly beloved and this vampire was when the other fox introduced her. At the mention of her status and unfamiliarity with things outside the Imperial Court. That was... a Half-truth... She was well familiar with the interactionms and day-to-day of the humble common man, she just didn't care to get involved with it most of the time. Because humans were, as always, human. And given the behavior of both these cursed humans she'd met and gotten invovled with today, her appraisal of their species seemed to be quite accurate still, even after several centuries. Sad, wasn't it?

She didn't even notice or pay any heed to when the gentleman the vampire had been playing her board game with suddenly rose to his feet and excused himself from the presence of the ladies present.

The short-stuff spoke again, trying to reaffirm her sincerity and well-meaning intentions. The black fox gave her a side-eye, letting a small sigh escape her lips.

"Everyone makes mistakes."

A noin-comitting answer. An answer that didn't accept or reject the other woman's words or intentions. An open-ended reply that could be read and interpreted in a number of ways and that didn't necessarily mean what the listener imagined or concluded. A vague and calculated response. This was about as much as the elder fox was willing to humor her dear partner's good will and naivety. It was a good thing, for this human, that the golden fox was around - otherwise she may not even have gotten a reply.

Sniff, sniff~

But the dark clouds hanging over Miyuki suddenly began to thin out and break apart. A fragrant, mouth-wateriong aroma came wafting through the noisy dining hall. A smell that was both familiar and nostalgic, yet also distant, like a long-absent friend one hadn't seen in many years. The fox's ears twitched, her tails began to slowly and rhythmically wag at the tips, in perfect synchrlnization. Food... Food was on the way! And it smelled divine! Turning her head, Miyuki spotted the large, bulky... Man...? Creature? Thing!? That was waddling its way towards their table.

Carried in his arms was... A tray... A tray of promised satisfaction. A tray of hopes and dreams. A tray of the very gods themselves! NOURISHMENT! A pair of steaming, fresh-out-of-the-pot meals rested atop this glorious tray, and now, finally, after so many hours of hunger and starvation, after so much unpleasantry, after so many nuisances and irritants all throughout this miserable day, in this unfamiliar and frankly quite bothersome new locale, finally... Finally she was going to get to get to eat and regain some modicum of happiness!

...

...



A foul screech, high-pitched but als raspy, like a pair of claws being raked across the chalk-board along with a untuned, rusted violin string being shredded... That was the sound that greeted her just as the large man-thing was about to reach her and Yumeiko's table. And then.... The catastrophic cataclysm struck. An apocalpyse of unimaginable proportion. It all played out in slow motion before Miyuki's horrified eyes. Those eyes, golden purple, that had previously begun to sparkle with the warmth of joy and the dazzling light of wonder and hope... Those eyes now stared in abject horror at the scene before her.

An ugly, unholy little creature fell from the ceiling. It crashed down onto the tray carried by the big man-thing. The tray, the creature, and the platters of promised dinner, all went flying. The tray, clattered onto the floor, dead, broken. The platters of food, sailed thorugh the air and then, with an unceremonious splat, landed upside down upon the floor. The creature, culprit and offender and perpetrator of this deed, bounced onto the ground, giggle maniacally, and then took off, like a mischievous child... Andleft behind, in the wake of all this carnage, was not but a black-haired fox, staring with blank eyes and an equally blank face, at the improbable and unpossible disaster before her.

A moment of silence for the fallen.

...

...

Yumeiko..."

Suddenly, a sound. The words came from Miyuki's lips, but they did not sound like Miyuki's voice. They were hissed, spoken through grit teeth, with an underlying and distinct tint of seething, unbridled and boiling venom. Those who gazed at the fox would notice a shift, a change. The air around her, which spread outwards like a dark breeze, could feel it. The air was electric, oppressive... Tainted... Some could probably feel their stomachs become queasy, a cold sweat break out all over them, a sensation like tinitus ringing in their ears, or just a palpable feeling that something dreadful and unpleasant was about... Something that was very wrong and very dangerous... The entire dining hall felt... Darker... Like the shadows themselves were growing and the light itself was dimming...

She had not listened to the announcement. She had not heard about these 'gremlins'. She knew not that this was all part of some silly game to entertain the simple-minded, unwashed masses. To her... To Mizuki no Szuyami... This was nothing but a slap in the face, on a day that had been nothing but a string of consecutive slaps to the face.

"... I will end that creature now."

Apparently, Miyuki also hadn't heard her beloved's comment about them going on a hunt. Or perhaps she had, but hadn't connected the dots that these little blighters were what they were supposed to hunt down. No, instead, a set of nine purple-blue flames had now appeared at the tips of each of Miyuki's nine tails, and said tails were moving indepedently of each other in an uncanny, slithering, serpentine-like manner. A shadow hung over the otherwise attractive far-eastern woman's face and her eyes were filled with not but malice and bloodthirst. But...

... Unlike the cursed humans of the west, unlike those weak-willed yet self-important humans who claimed to be above and more than mere beasts... This beast didn't lose her composure. She didn't crack. She didn't fly into a fit of wild, emotional rage fueled by blind instinct. Instead, she seethed. Boiled like a lidded cauldron. It was clear she was upset, anyone could tell that - even a fool coulkd notice it - but she still managed to keep from exploding. Maintaining a lid on things. However...

... If she wasn't stopped or halted, this fun event of tonight wouldn't remain a silly game of controlled chaos for much longer.

Case in point, Miyuki was now very slowly, and very ominously, rising from her seat in order to leave in pursuit of the destroyer of her meal... And it would pay dearly if she caught them...

---

---

Rebecca Holloway
Building 1 Cafeteria

There were many times where Rebecca had felt in danger. She was a soldier. It was her job to put herself in line of fire. The words her old team leader in Vietnam told her were tucked away in her head for her to call back on when she needed to. As Rebecca had watched the rest of the creatures exit the cafeteria to hunt down the pesky gremlins, she considered a small dessert for her menu later. Something nice and sweet would ease her into the new routine. Help loosen her up. A hot chocolate. Something like that would hit the spot. Especially with some whiskey.

Just as she had considered it, there was a commotion in the dining hall. Rebecca watched a gremlin make a proper mess of a tray of food and scamper off without a care in the world, as if he had been waiting very patiently to do just that. She felt an instant pang of annoyance and stared blankly in disdain, heavily considering reaching out with Athectess to wrangle the creature back. Something else pinged her radar instead. She turned and saw the brilliant glow of the nine fox tails and wasted no time in piecing together whose food was just made inedible.

As Rebecca stared, she contemplated her course of action. Sure the fox girl looked impressive with her display, but could she really take her if things went sour? She knew that Athectess could regenerate her from the smallest chunk of meat, even if it would take weeks to do so. The words came back. Shut the fuck up, Snake Eater. You get paid to get shot at. She knew there weren’t many creatures of her caliber that could take such punishment, but the threat of total evisceration was still very real. But still, someone had to make a move. And besides, Rebecca could relate. There were two things in this world that she would kill people over if they messed with: her food and her sleep.

Rebecca approached Miyuki’s table just as she was getting out of it. She broached the subject in her classic fashion.

“Rough day?” She asked, ready to get an earful from the kitsune.

Locationn: Umbra Rose Condos, Bldg #2 Rooms 206 and 104
Time of Day: Late Afternoon/Pre-evening
Relevant Cast: Lilith, Eilidh @Silver Carrot

Lilith awoke from her hammock to the noise of the PA-system, announcing something of a gremlin problem as she rolled out onto the floor and went to check the servers. Connection for buildings 1 and looked fine, but it seemed as though the first floor was having connectiviy-issues... Either Eilidh had her computer completely shut-down a few hours before her scheduled evening stream, or these 'gremlins' must've been chewing on her wiring. Various other status updates were indicating the cafeterias were swamped with gremlins and were unlikely to be serving and afternoon tea.

After getting dressed and grabbing a few quick coffees, she strode out to the balcony to enjoy the sun starting to set, before crawling down the exterior wall to the first floor and over to the resident centaur-girl's room. Poor thing must've been trying to get her stream up by herself as she could feel the frantic clomping towards the door get interrupted by tripping over, something.

"Congratulations Eilidh, you have gremlins!" She introduced herself, shoving a second relaxing cup of coffee into the centaur's hands as she walked up the doorframe and past her on the ceiling, showing herself in. "So what seems to be the problem with your computer today?"