Crow's Blessings → Sylus

Workplace Dynamics

Ugh, I felt sore all over. Tossing and turning in bed, I tried to ignore the soreness draping over my body, but no matter what, it wouldn't leave me be. Fluttering my eyes open, a bright light caught me by surprise.

Sitting upright in bed, my hands aimlessly roamed the bedside table in search of my phone. It wasn't there. What time is it? Glancing to the window across my bed, I realized that the sun was glaring right through — so, it should be around 8 AM, at the very least.

"Eight AM?!" I panicked and continued to frantically search for my phone. It proved to be ineffective, so I tried a different approach. Calming down, I pressed my ear against the soft mattress, when I heard several notifications and a vibration. My hands roamed the bed, under the pillow, then under the scattered bedsheets, where I finally found my phone. Someone was calling, but I didn't bother checking the ID before picking it up.

"Hello—"

"Where are you? Jenna's looking for you," Xavier's soft voice came through, audibly tense.

"I just woke up," immediately, I stood up and stumbled along to the bathroom. "I'll be there in uh, 20 minutes tops! Please buy me some time!"

"Hurry," was all Xavier responded with as he left me to continue my morning routine.

It was chaotic. I let the electric toothbrush on, letting it brush the side of my teeth as I grabbed a tube of facial wash, squirting a generous amount on my hand and rubbed it against my face furiously until it was spread evenly. I tried looking in the mirror, but accidentally got some of the facial wash in my eyes.

"Agh!" closing my eyes shut, I grabbed the toothbrush and brushed the nooks and crannies of my teeth. Spitting the remaining out, I turned on the faucet, washed the stinging facial wash off my face, especially my eyes, then stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was still in the red turtleneck I wore yesterday. Should I take a bath? I don't think I smell too bad. Pulling on the fabric of the turtleneck, I gave a quick whiff and decided that I could just take a bath after I got home.

I ran out of the bathroom, all the while pulling off every article of clothes sticking to my body. Slipping into some fresh undergarments, I briskly walked to the dressing table to take my uniforms. While unbuttoning the dress shirt, I noticed the nice smell from the shirt, like a mix of oud and a hint of tuberose. Did Sylus wash it? That's awfully nice of him.

Shaking my head, I hastily put the belt and harnesses on, my gaze dropping to the gift box on the dressing table. After pulling on the harness over my thigh, I curiously opened the gift box. The box was divided into three sections and inside was an array of makeup carefully stacked based on their types. It was the makeup Sylus surprised me with at the hotel. It tempted me to put some makeup on, which I barely ever wore considering they wear off in a matter of two hours. But, this was high end cosmetics, right?

Pressing on my phone's power button, I sighed as I checked the time. "Might as well."

—

Lady Luck was on my side today. Just as I stepped out of the apartment's gate, the bus stopped by, saving me by a few minutes. As I stepped out the bus, I was about ready to make a headstart for the Hunter's Headquarters, until I spotted a familiar face just outside of the Hunter's Association's building.

"Xavier!" I made a quick dash towards him. From the way his eyes perked up, I could tell that he was surprised by my sudden appearance. "Where's Jenna?"

"There was an emergency in South Sommerset Street. Jenna assigned some reliable hunters and investigated along with them," Xavier shrugged his shoulders.