[pm] Good, I’m glad. You and your sister have enough supplies and such, right? I know a guy going around. I’ve been… mostly staying away from them, other than one mild incident.

[pm] We do. I made us a number of meals, we’re all set.

Zinnia may not be on cloud nine, but she was feeling very good about herself today. During her lunch break, she’d traveled through shadows to check on the animals in her farm and the animals in her home. The animals at her farm were very happy, the friendlier ones were playing with each other and the more aggressive ones were just relaxing under the hot sun. Things were calm and it took some convincing for Zinnia to convince herself not to shift and play or relax along with her animals. Those at her apartment were a bit restless, but after playing with them for a bit they calmed down considerably. Today was turning out to be a, dare she say it, normal day.

For Zinnia, normal days seem to be few and far between. She knows not to expect normal days, not when she lives in a town that is quite literally a beacon for supernatural creatures. A place full of people like her, all living next to humans without humans being fully aware of them. With an existence like that, normal days shouldn’t even be possible. But there are days when Zinnia thinks normalcy is right there, right within her grasp. Days when the full moon isn’t so close. Days when the wispy scent of magic doesn’t contaminate the air. Days when Jacob plays minesweeper on the waiting room computer like he doesn’t know Zinnia is standing right behind him. Days like today. These are the days that Zinnia may not cherish, but she definitely appreciates them. 

“You know, to come to the front, all the doctors and nurses have to pass you. And we can all see you playing minesweeper.” Zinnia said to Jacob, the nurse sitting at the computer at the counter, very satisfied at the sight of the young nurse jumping quite high in his seat. As Zinnia walked passed the younger man, she saw him straightening himself out and mumble something under his breath. It was likely something rude, something he didn’t want her to hear, but she didn’t care. Today was a good day and she wasn’t going to let her lazy coworker bring her down. That didn’t mean she couldn’t poke fun at him. 

“Now, may I use the computer? I’d like to see who my name appointment is with.” Zinnia stated, making a ‘move’ motion with her hand. Normally Jacob would’ve fought her on it, but another vet was calling him, so he reluctantly got up and made his way to one of the back rooms. After taking a seat, Zinnia made sure that Jacob’s game was lost before checking to see who her next appointment was with. Effie Duan with their dog, Loker the Basset Hound. Putting on her best ‘welcoming’ smile, Zinnia stood up and went to the waiting room. “Miss Duan?” She called out, waiting for the person to stand before gesturing to the hallway, “Please follow me.” Not normally one for pleasantries, the Nogitsune waited until they were in the privacy of a room before kneeling down to look at Loker. “Now, how are we feeling today? Any specific reason you brought Loker in or is this just a check-up?”

[pm] check the strange times. power outage. it was me. i don’t know what happened, it’s out of control and i don’t know what to do??

[pm] I have. I’ve been mostly all inside with my sister.

Have you?

[pm] I’m glad your holidays were nice. My first question might be something you’ve heard about considering how many people apparently have seen this thing, but have you ever heard of a… smokey black creature with white piercing eyes?

[pm] I haven’t? No. I’ve been a bit buried in other research, so it’s possible I missed it. [user scrolls through the dashboard and sees a few starters] Oh. That’s weird.

[user is idle] 

[user considers not answering]

[message read]

[a little later]

[pm] China was wonderful, thank you. I am free to stop by whenever, though I am assuming you have your hands full with this… portal nonsense.

[pm] Of course. I have never been, though I would love to visit. East Asia is beautiful (at least the small amount I have seen).

I mean, we do. However, I’ve learned that we’ve nearly always got our hands full with something or other, and if I let that stop me from helping others with day-to-day things, I’d never be able to help individuals.

[pm] Of course I remember. Hey, Effie - I hope wherever you were was good for you. 

If you wanted to stop by again sometime, you’re always welcome. I’ve done some more reading I want you to feel safer