Spirit Animal[Jiyoo]

Once upon a dream...

Everything is monotonous, austere, clinical.

Vibrancy is non-existent. Every action and movement within the lab is efficient, robotic, and calculated, like a well oiled machine...but that's exactly what Yoohyeon disliked about working in the lab so much. Sure, she was excelling in her field of pathogenic biotechnology research, but for the most part, the procedures done became repetitive, and the periods of waiting for the samples to react and incubate have been reduced to minor existential crises and random dog videos.

Most importantly, she found it nonsensical for her to obtain a job in the human world when she was perfectly content with her former job as a detective in the fantastical realm. If it weren't for her brother's idiotic actions 10 years ago, Yoohyeon wouldn't have been forced to the human realm to escape and be protected from those after her. Fully aware that Yoohyeon had grown to an age where she more than capable of looking out for herself, the sorcerer's witness protection program now only sent someone to visit once month instead of once a week. Tonight will be the final monthly visit from the program personnel before the visits change to once every 2 months. For that, Yoohyeon was grateful. Usually nothing important occurred during the meetings anyway, so she looked forward to just getting it over with.

Tomorrow will mark 10 years since she entered the human realm and was adopted by her foster family. Only 5 years left until she would be permitted to re-enter the fantastical realm and reunite with her real family... If any of them were still alive that is. Regardless of whether they were physically alive didn't matter as much to Yoohyeon as whether their spirits were retained or not, for the young necromancer could always call upon spirits of long past relatives for guidance.

She had briefly considered calling some of the spirits within the research building for a brief chat over some coffee, but the prospect of being caught by her coworkers "talking to herself" was not appealing. People were already jealous of how she seemingly knew so much information about everything. It's not Yoohyeon's fault that these old spirits know so much about history! She didn't want to give them yet another reason to antagonize and ostracize her from the shared dining table in the common room. Sure, she could momentarily make the spirits she would be talking to visible to the humans, but medical paperwork and therapy cost time and money that Yoohyeon was just not willing to shell out, so for now, this routine, clockwork lifestyle was her personal reality.

Living in relative isolation, much like the spirits she spoke to. Perhaps some members of the living are not do different from the dead after all.

. . .

Just 2 blocks down the street, another girl was frantically running around from room to room, arms filled with various brands of pet food. A cacophony of barks, meows, and chirps resonated from the room behind the double doors accordingly labeled as "cutie cribs".

The girl with her arms full of food made sure to bark, meow, and chirp back, each sound eeriely indistinguishable from the actual animals themselves. New customers of this vet clinic just stared at the weird woman in awe, sure in their minds that she must have been high off of something. However, not one of them could deny that, after the woman's remarkable animal communication, the harsh cacophony dissipated into an almost deafening silence.

Five minutes later, the female doctor had finished feeding and checking in on every furry patient in her care. Satisfied with her work, she adjusted  her glasses ever so slightly before the corners of her mouth lifted into the most radiant smile, sure the win the hearts of countless admirers.

A quick glance at her watch told her that it was time for her final appointment of the afternoon, and it was with a regular customer and personal friend. Checking her appearance one last time through the camera of her phone, the young doctor straightened out her clothes before walking into her office, perfectly in time for a knock on her door just moments later.

"Come in please! Hi Handong! How's Nan-Nan doing? Do you mind flipping the sign on the outside of the door to 'Busy in meeting?' Thanks a bunch. Now, what's this emergency situation you called about?"

"Hi Minji! Thanks for seeing Nan-Nan on such short notice."

Closing the door behind her, now Handong and the young raven haired doctor closed themselves off from the outside work, if only just temporarily. The only thing visible besides the 'busy' sign was the sign on the door that read Office of Doctor Kim Minji, animal care specialist and dietician.

"Alrighty. I'll just take Nan-Nan here to the soundproof room that way he and I can talk in peace. If you could just wait here, that would be great, thanks."

Scooping up Nan-Nan on her arms, Minji walked over to the small soundproof room and gently set Nan-Nan down in a comfy, pillowy bed. Making himself comfortable, Nan-Nan stretched his body before settling down fully into the bed. Opening a single eye to gaze a Minji, he let out a single short and curt meow, accompanied by an arrogant flick of his tail.

"Hi doc."

Minji let out a longer, more polite meow in response.

"Hi Nan-Nan. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good honestly. I really don't know why Handong brought me her to be honest."

"Did you easy anything you weren't supposed to? She said you looked sick and were moving around a lot more lethargically than usual this morning."

"I was just tired this morning. I will say, I am having some minor joint pain. Got anything for that?"

"Sure. I'll still have to take an x ray or tell Handong exactly what to say in order for you to get the prescription, but sure. I can do that for you."

"Great. Thanks doc. Always a pleasure."

"Likewise."

Sitting anxiously in her chair, Handong awaited Minji's verdict on what was wrong with her beloved feline friend. The door of the soundproof room opened, and it walked Nan-Nan, headed straight for Handong before jumping in her arms.

"So what's wrong with Nan-Nan?"

"Minor joint pain. I'll send you an email with the prescription and exactly how to explain it early tomorrow. Be sure to remind me tonight while we're at the club."

"Sounds good. Honestly, I still can't get over how perfect your ability matches with this job. Your ability is essentially the glamorized version of a furry, quite frankly."

"Laugh all you want, but being able to speak with animals means I have eyes and ears almost everywhere. Comes in handy. While we're on the topic, I find it hilarious that someone so savage got the ability of an empath. Good thing you don't roast your clients with your usual personality. That would not be doing anyone any favors."

"Yeah yeah. Be lucky I'm using my abilities for good. I technically am all the more persuasive. Emotional manipulation can sometimes be just as useful as a physical attack if you play your cards right."

The two women laugh it out before Handong heads home, promising to see Minji in a bit at the FeverDream nightclub.