>>18587 Or maybe I'll get dragged away from the computer for part of the night, and spend the rest of it wallowing in apathy thanks to allergies.
[X] Just stay silent and step out of the room. There really are no words.
***
Keeping your eyes even with hers, you slowly and silently extricate yourself from the door, and step back into the hall. There are no words for this situation. Feeling even more drained than you did before, you back against the wall and just let go, sliding down and slumping to the floor with a sigh. You could really use that bath now.
About ten or fifteen minutes later the bathroom door slides open, and Yukari steps out with a towel wrapped around her body. Another slightly strained silence passes, shorter this time, before she glances both ways down the hall, and walks over to... pat you on the head? Though she has a very faint pink staining her cheeks, the blond beauty looks more amused than abashed.
She also looks rather tired, come to think of it. Her eyes are a little dull and drooping, and as if to confirm your suspicions, she covers her mouth and yawns. Looks like she might have had the same idea as you when it came to taking a bath. The two of you eye each other for a few seconds longer before she turns and shuffles off toward the room marked with her nameplate, evidently not in the mood to talk much.
Well, that went better than you might have expected it to, at least. She seemed pretty understanding of the whole thing... or maybe just a little too tired to care. Regardless, it looks like the bathroom is open now, so you go ahead and take it for yourself.
---
Wow.
You step out of the bathroom smelling like the girliest assortment of fruits and flowers imaginable, and feeling like a million bucks. The only toiletries available to you may have been a wide assortment of scented soaps, shampoos, and conditioners that you'd get called a flaming sissy for even thinking of using, but damn it if that hot bath wasn't the most relaxing experience you've ever had. First time in ages that you've actually used bubble bath - hey, it was there - and there is something remarkably therapeutic about it.
As you stand stretching in the hall, Ran rounds a corner and catches sight of you. She gives you a warm smile as she comes up to exchange morning greetings with you, and folds her arm in that same strange way that she did last night.
"Well, good morning. You're looking better." Before you have the chance to reply, she sniffs at the air a few times and snickers. "Smelling better too."
"So glad to be of service," you remark wryly. Of course, she's probably right.
"I'm not so sure you have been. That you smell more like Yukari now is perhaps more worrying than the alternative." The woman laughs at her own joke, hiding her grin behind her sleeves as her large batch of tails wag back and forth. You can't help but chuckle yourself; she's certainly in a good mood this morning, and it's contagious. Once she gets herself back under control, she bows slightly. "I apologize," she giggles, "I should behave myself. I was preparing breakfast and Miss Yukari sent me to fetch you; would it be alright to ask for you to join us?"
"Of course. I'd love to." Truth be told you still don't have much of an appetite, but it would be pretty rude to decline an invitation at this point. Plus, it'll be a good opportunity to get some questions answered.
"Right this way, then."
Ran leads you down a hall or two, back to the dining room you used last night. Seems like this building isn't as large as you'd thought; there's no doubt that it's probably bigger than the average home, but it's not a mansion by any means. You don't even have the time to really mull over your thoughts before your reach your destination.
When you arrive, you find that Chen and Yukari are already seated at the table, though they're both less than fully awake; Yukari is as drowsy as last you saw her, and Chen's eyes are halfway shut as she rests her head on the table. This time, at least, Yukari is actually decent - she's wearing a long violet dress that, aside from the lacy cut and way it hugs her figure, is quite conservative. Yukari gives you a little wave, and Chen just bats her tails against the floor lazily.
You and Ran take your own places at the table, and you note that the only places set for breakfast are for you two - guess Yukari and Chen are too tired to be hungry or some such. Ran has prepared a simple breakfast of, interestingly enough, pancakes with a side of scrambled eggs, and you gather up a fair portion for yourself; you still lack an appetite, so you take less than you normally would, but it feels kind of nice to be doing something nice and routine. Normal.
Breakfast passes in uneventful quiet. When you've finished, Ran collects the dishes, and Yukari speaks up.
"It looks like you're feeling better."
You nod.
"That's good, that's good." Yukari stifles a yawn and straightens up to a more respectable position. "Well, let's not beat around the bush. I'm sure you have a lot of questions you want to ask, so please go ahead. The three of us will try to answer them as they come, but please excuse me if some of my answers are a little difficult to understand, I'm still quite tired; the same goes for Chen, of course."
Yukari reaches out and scratches Chen's ear, and the cat-girl smiles, rubbing her head along Yukari's hand.
***
[ ] What questions would you like to ask? (Specify)
